Class C rigid with an obscured VIN plate and a recent windscreen replacement
A 2021 Class C rigid (three-axle, 26,000 kg GVW) is presented for its CVRT. The vehicle identification number plate on the cab is obscured by a layer of paint and cannot be read; the VIN stamped into the chassis is visible but the last two characters are corroded and illegible. The presenter produces a photocopy of the registration document showing a VIN, but the photocopy is poor and one character is ambiguous. The windscreen was replaced two weeks ago and the presenter says the fitter told him the new screen 'didn't need the wiper marks because it's a modern screen'. On inspection the wipers park correctly and clear the screen, but there is no visible marking of the wiper swept area. The presenter is anxious because the vehicle is booked on a ferry tomorrow.
1. Assess the identification findings and explain what you can and cannot accept.
Read the worked answer
VIN plate obscured by paint. The plate must be legible. If it cannot be read, you cannot verify the vehicle's identity against the documentation. This is a defect. The presenter should be advised to clean the plate - if the paint can be removed without damaging the plate, re-inspect. If the plate cannot be made legible, it is a fail.
Chassis VIN with two illegible characters. A stamped VIN that cannot be fully read is a problem for identity verification. You cannot accept a partial VIN, and you cannot 'fill in the gaps'.
Photocopy of the registration document. A poor photocopy with an ambiguous character is not adequate evidence of identity. You should not use it to reconstruct a VIN. The original registration document, or a legible copy, would be needed - and even then it does not substitute for a legible VIN on the vehicle.
What you can accept: If the plate can be cleaned to legibility and the stamped VIN matches the documentation, the identification item passes. If not, it fails.
Practical point: Advise the presenter that the ferry booking is not a reason to pass an unidentifiable vehicle. A vehicle whose identity cannot be confirmed cannot be certified.
2. Assess the windscreen/wiper marking issue and decide whether it is a defect.
Read the worked answer
The wiper swept-area marking. The requirement is that the windscreen, where fitted, is marked to show the swept area of the wipers - this is a construction/type-approval marking that confirms the screen is of an approved type for the vehicle. A replacement screen without the marking is not automatically a fail, but it is a point to examine carefully.
What to check:
Is the screen of an approved type? The marking (or lack of it) is evidence. A screen fitted without the correct marking may not be an approved component for that vehicle.
Does the screen function correctly? The wipers park correctly and clear the screen - that is the functional test and it passes.
Is the screen damaged? Check for cracks, chips, delamination, and anything in the driver's field of view. None reported, so no defect there.
Decision. The absence of the swept-area marking is a legitimate concern about whether the correct screen was fitted. It should be recorded as a defect if the screen is not of an approved type for the vehicle. The fitter's explanation ('modern screens don't need it') is not a basis for accepting an unmarked screen. The presenter should obtain confirmation from the supplier that the screen is the correct approved part; if he can, re-inspect. If not, it remains a defect.
Combined result: With the VIN illegible and the screen marking unresolved, the vehicle cannot be passed. The ferry booking does not change that.