Non conformity of Extol Van

Forum: 

I have a 2004 Extol which my wife adores. We have now moved back to France, sorted the headlights and it sailed through the Control Technique (MOT). We then applied to Daihatsu France for a Certificate of Conformity @ 250€. After some time I received a brief letter of Non Conformity from them, referring me to DREAL,( Weights and Measures). They charged me 86€ to look at the details before referring me UTAC near Paris. A Commander at UTAC replied that I would have to take the Extol to their site near Paris and pay 2000€ for them to inspect it . If it failed their inspection then I could get the failed parts changed, if possible and pay for another inspection, another 2000€ and so on. UTAC appear to be a part of the French Military and are based at an air field near Paris.

The reason I am raising this with members is simple, if a vehicle conforms in one member state of the EU why not them all? It makes a mockery of the conformity system and the EU and also allows protectionism as well as day light robbery.

Our van is worth about £450 on a good day. It has no MOT and I can only get insurance for six months while I sort the bureaucracy out. That ended on 31/01/19 so it is now destined for cleaning and then the back of my garage just for the sake of French bureaucracy: or is it just a money making procedure, I wonder. Update Now given France the elbow, Extol now sailing along, MOT'd and used daily. So much for the benefits of the EU, i think if it conforms in one EU country it should in all. Thank god we have left that bureaucratic money grabbing empire.