Are a first-time driver and your first MOT is nearing? Or just interested to know more about what an MOT is?
MOT’s can feel like a bit of a mystery to some people. You leave your car at a garage for a day and hope that it passes. Many people have no idea what happens in an MOT test, how can you pass? Let us de-mystify and answer what is an MOT and what to expect?
What Is An MOT?
An MOT is an annual test of a car, motorhome or motorbike. MOT stands for Ministry of Transport and the test is a legal requirement. It’s designed to ensure all the vehicles on the road meet minimum safety requirements. MOT’s can only be carried out in approved MOT test centres which are usually auto-repair and maintenance garages like Bodymek.
Checks for an MOT include lights, electrics, brakes, suspension and tyres. It even covers windscreen wipers and exhaust emissions. An MOT doesn’t check the clutch, gearbox or what the condition of the engine is though. That means it’s still important to get your car serviced at least once a year as well.
After passing your MOT you are given a certificate which is valid for one year. You are able to book an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before the certificate expires and keep the same renewal date.
If your MOT certificate expires it becomes illegal to drive the car and you can be fined £1000. If you drive a car that has been flagged as dangerous on the MOT test the consequences are even more severe. You will face a larger fine of £2,500 and 3 points on your license.
There are some exemptions to needing an MOT, such as cars that were built over 40 years ago. You can find out more from the Government website about MOTs.
What To Expect In An MOT
Most vehicles are required to have an MOT each year, ideally before the current MOT expires. If you don’t already go to an MOT tester you know, ask your friends and family for recommendations or get in touch with us here at Bodymek!
A couple weeks before the test, do some pre-checks on your car. This will give you enough time to book a garage if you need to fix anything before the test. An MOT has a fixed maximum price of £54.85 but most garages will charge less than that. Our MOT’s for Class 4 vehicles (Cars/vans up to 3 tonne) costs just £35.
When you drop your car off for an MOT, you will need to leave your key with them. Although an MOT only takes about 90 minutes, they usually won’t be able to give you a time of completion. Plan that your car will be in the garage all day and make alternative transport arrangements.
The testers will carry out the inspection and will let you know if your car has passed or failed. MOT defects are classed as dangerous, major and minor. Major and dangerous defects will result in a fail. The tester will advise you to get minor faults fixed very soon but they will not prevent you driving away. Advisories ought to be considered fairly important but are not immediate threats.
If you have a major or dangerous fault and your MOT certificate is still valid, you can drive your car. You will need to get the faults fixed and another MOT test taken before your certificate expires.
What Can You Do If Your Car Fails The MOT?
In the case of a fail, you have several options.
- You can ask the test centre the car is already at to carry out the repairs and a partial retest. A partial retest is on ne that just covers the faults.
- You can take your car to another garage to get fixed and then back to the test centre for a partial retest.
- You can get the faults rectified and retested at a different test centre. This will likely be a full MOT and charged as such because it’s the first time they’ve seen your car.
If the car is retested after 10 days then the full fee will be applied. This is regardless of whether it’s at the original test centre.
Having an MOT for your car isn’t as mysterious as people think it is. The tests are carried out by professionals and the point is to keep you, other road users and pedestrians as safe as possible. You can get your car serviced with us here at Bodymek before booking your next MOT or go straight to our MOT page to get your car booked in in plenty of time before
