MOT testing bay
MOT testing bay
An MOT lasts a year, but you can have an MOT carried out up to a month (less one day) before the current MOT certificate expires. You can check the MOT status of a vehicle online.
If your car fails its MOT:
You will be given a refusal of MOT certificate (VT30)
Your vehicle must be repaired and retested to comply with MOT standards
You may not be covered by your insurance, so you are advised not to drive it, except to an approved test centre or a garage for repairs.
Your refusal of MOT certificate will state why your vehicle failed its MOT and what needs to be fixed in order for it to pass. The repairs needed could be specialised such as welding jobs or emissions failures, so it may not be possible to make them there and then.
If your car can be tested, repaired and retested at the same location within a 10-working day period then there should be no additional charge for retesting, this is known as a partial re-examination. Although, there are certain repairs that cannot be fixed under a partial re-examination.
A partial re-examination will check the items that the car failed on in the original MOT test as long as they are one or more of the following items.
| Bonnet | Bootlid | Brake pedal | Antislip | Wheels and tyres |
| Indicators | Doors | Dropsides | Fuel cap filler | Loading door |
| Hazard warning | Horn | Lamps | Seat belts | Registration plates |
| Mirrors | Rear reflectors | Tailboard | Steering wheel | Sharp edges |
| Tailgate | VIN | Windscreen and glass | Wipers and washers | Seats |
If the repairs do not come under the list of items under a partial re-examination then you will need to pay for a second full MOT test.
If you return the car for retest after the 10 working day period then you will have to pay for a second full MOT test.
Once the vehicle has been fixed you will need to have it retested by an approved MOT testing station.
If your MOT runs out:
You must arrange to have an MOT
You should not drive your vehicle, unless to the test centre
You could be prosecuted for driving your vehicle
What is included in the MOT test?
| Interior checks | Exterior checks |
|---|---|
| Seats and seat belts | Registration plates |
| Warning lamps | Lamps, registration plate lamps |
| Switches (position lamp, headlamp, hazards) | Indicators, hazards |
| View to front, wipers and washers | Headlamps and aim |
| Brake controls, servo operation | Stop lamps, fog lamps, reflectors |
| Steering wheel and column | Wheels, tyres |
| Doors, mirrors, horn | Shock absorbers |
| Speedometer, driver’s controls (Class 5*) | Mirrors, wiper blades, fuel tank cap |
| Doors, boot lid, loading doors, bonnet | |
| Towbars | |
| Glazing (Class 5) | |
| General condition of body |
| Under bonnet checks | Under vehicle checks |
|---|---|
| Vehicle structure | Steering including power steering |
| Braking systems | Drive shafts (if applicable) |
| Exhaust systems, fuel system | Suspension, shock absorbers |
| Speed limiter (if applicable) | Headlamps and aim |
| Brake controls, servo operation | Wheel bearings |
| Steering and power steering components | Wheels and tyres |
| Suspension components | Brake systems and mechanical components |
| Exhaust system | |
| Fuel system and fuel tank | |
| Structure general vehicle condition |
*Class five vehicles are private passenger vehicles and ambulances
