Over 2,000 'dangerous fails' at Portlaoise NCT centre last year

There were over 2,000 'dangerous fails' at the NCT Centre in Portlaoise last year, according to new figures published. 

A total of 2,277 drivers failed their National Car Test (NCT) last year due to dangerous defects at the Laois Centre based at the Lismard Business Park on the Timahoe Road. This figure is up from 2,137 dangerous failures in 2023.

Applus+, the company that operates the NCT on behalf of the Road Safety Authority, said that vehicle inspectors advise the owners of dangerously defective cars to have them towed away.

According to the NCT, when a vehicle is failed because of a dangerous defect, it should not be used on the road under any circumstances.

 ‘A sticker stating “failed dangerous” will be affixed to the vehicle by the vehicle inspector. The vehicle must be presented for re-inspection and receive a pass result before an NCT certificate is issued. It is illegal and unsafe for a motorist to drive a vehicle with a dangerous defect, which means the vehicle owner may incur penalty points and a court appearance if caught by An Garda Síochána,’ the NCT operators said.

The Portlaoise Centre also saw 12,751 vehicles with 'major fails' recorded in 2024 which is up from 11,984 the year previous. Over the 12 months a total of 31,510 tests were carried out at Laois' only test centre with 16,482 passes, giving it a 52% pass rate. 

After a re-test 52 vehicles recorded 'dangerous fail' while 1,170 had major fails after a second test. There were 13,652 passes from the 14,874 total re-tests that took place in Portlaoise last year which gives re-tests a 92% pass rate. 

Nationally the figures published by the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) show 128,548 cars were found to be unroadworthy to a dangerous level while being checked at an NCT test centre during 2024.