Failing a MOT

Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
If your vehicle fails the MOT 2 weeks before the expiry date of the current MOT due to a warning light on the dashboard i.e. a faulty sensor and is perfectly safe to drive, can you then drive it home directly and then take it directly on another day to another garage for repair? Then after the repair take it back to the MOT station for a retest without breaking the law?
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,096
6,130
50,935
Visit site
If your vehicle fails the MOT 2 weeks before the expiry date of the current MOT due to a warning light on the dashboard i.e. a faulty sensor and is perfectly safe to drive, can you then drive it home directly and then take it directly on another day to another garage for repair? Then after the repair take it back to the MOT station for a retest without breaking the law?
That’s a bit unfortunate having a warning light come up at the MoT. My understanding is that you can book it in for a repair then book it back in for an MOT but since it’s got a failure record (in line now) it should not be driven elsewhere as it could constitute an offence.

Failed but not dangerous
 
May 7, 2012
8,491
1,753
30,935
Visit site
It will depend on how the fault is described on the report. If it is shown as dangerous, you cannot drive it until the fault is fixed, if not you can but it needs to be fixed before the MOT expires. I would assume his is not shown as dangerous so you can drive it. I cannot find anything to suggest sensors are included in the test although you do not say which one is involved here.
 
Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
It will depend on how the fault is described on the report. If it is shown as serious, you cannot drive it until the fault is fixed, if not you can but it needs to be fixed before the MOT expires. I would assume his is not shown as serious so you can drive it.
Just to clarify that my vehicle which is 8 years old has not failed its MOT yet however occasionally I get a warning message on the dashboard stating that 4wd needs to be serviced. apparently this a common issue on this type of vehicle and can happen at any time. I have bene told that it is a faulty sensor for the 4WD engagement motor. Everything on the vehicle works and vehicle is in tip top condition as maintained by the dealership annually.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,096
6,130
50,935
Visit site
It will depend on how the fault is described on the report. If it is shown as dangerous, you cannot drive it until the fault is fixed, if not you can but it needs to be fixed before the MOT expires. I would assume his is not shown as dangerous so you can drive it. I cannot find anything to suggest sensors are included in the test although you do not say which one is involved here.
Abs faults can often be sensor related, TPMS and emissions too etc
 

Damian

Moderator
Mar 14, 2005
7,510
936
30,935
Visit site
Quote " if not you can but it needs to be fixed before the MOT expires "

If the car has been failed , regardless of when the original is due, it has failed and you could be pulled up for that.

With MOT and other documents being "On Line" and available for the Police to see at any time , it will be recorded as a failure.
 
Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
I eventually found this;

Driving a vehicle that’s failed

You can take your vehicle away if:
  • your current MOT certificate is still valid
  • no ‘dangerous’ problems were listed in the MOT
Otherwise, you’ll need to get it repaired before you can drive.

If you can take your vehicle away, it must still meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times.


The dealership is about 70 miles way from our home and we have a service plan with the dealership. The warning message does not affect the safety or roadworthiness of the vehicle as it is a warning regarding the 4WD engaging.
 
Last edited:
Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
On checking my current MOT certificate the MOT inspector has the mileage as 85770 miles when it should have been approximately 53400 miles. they read it in kilometres and not miles. The vehicle has only doen about 6500 miles since the last MOT so the mileage will be well below the 85770 miles shown and I can see this creating issues.
 
Aug 24, 2020
275
155
4,735
Visit site
I had this with my MOT in January 2019 (the date becomes relevant towards the end of the story...) - I had a general "check engine" warning light on my dashboard which had been on for about six years without causing me any problems - the dealership I bought the car from said they knew what the "fault" was, it wasn't dangerous or likely to do damage, but ever time they made the fault go away, it came back after about 100 miles. Sadly that dealer was no longer open so this MOT was done at a different Jeep specialist.

For the first time, the car failed because of that warning light (change in MOT requirements since the previous year), but they told me as it wasn't a dangerous fault and I still had 2 weeks MOT to go, I could take the car away and bring it back later, which I did. That's the bit of the story that's relevant to the OP's question.

They fixed the fault, gave me an MOT pass...and as I drove off the forecourt, the warning light came back on.

Scroll forward to January 2020 and this time, for convenience the MOT is being done at a garage much nearer home. I put it in with the warning light on, and it passes. I question this, to be told...

"The warning light MOT requirement only applies to cars 2008 and newer...your car shouldn't have failed for that last year." Online research confirms this to be true.
 
Nov 11, 2009
20,096
6,130
50,935
Visit site
I eventually found this;

Driving a vehicle that’s failed

You can take your vehicle away if:
  • your current MOT certificate is still valid
  • no ‘dangerous’ problems were listed in the MOT
Otherwise, you’ll need to get it repaired before you can drive.

If you can take your vehicle away, it must still meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times.


The dealership is about 70 miles way from our home and we have a service plan with the dealership. The warning message does not affect the safety or roadworthiness of the vehicle as it is a warning regarding the 4WD engaging.

Is failure of 4wd engagement system an MoT failure? My Pajero had a manual engagement system which showed engagement or not by an array of dash lights. But these could be overly sensitive until I changed all of the sensors. Surprised it’s in the MOT testers list. I’ve known some 4wd owners remove the drive to the front axle when the transfer box have problems. But running in 2 Wd wasn’t deemed unroadworthy

Mot Guide MOT
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: JezzerB
Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
Is failure of 4wd engagement system an MoT failure? My Pajero has a manual engagement system which showed engagement or not by an array of dash lights. But these could be overly sensitive until I changed all of the sensors. Surprised it’s in the MOT testers list. I’ve known some 4wd owners remove the drive to the front axle when the transfer box have problems. But running in 2 Wd wasn’t deemed unroadworthy

Mot Guide MOT
There is no issue with the 4WD engagement system and the message just states it needs servicing and not that it is faulty. I have tested it on several occasions and no issue with it engaging. Jeep forum general consensus is that the sensor is faulty. On a previous Jeep it was the sensor causing the error message.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JezzerB
Nov 11, 2009
20,096
6,130
50,935
Visit site
There is no issue with the 4WD engagement system and the message just states it needs servicing and not that it is faulty. I have tested it on several occasions and no issue with it engaging. Jeep forum general consensus is that the sensor is faulty. On a previous Jeep it was the sensor causing the error message.

So what is it causing the MoT failure? Or were you just concerned that the warning message might cause one?
 
Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
So what is it causing the MoT failure? Or were you just concerned that the warning message might cause one?
It has not failed its MOT yet, but concerned about message on dashboard may cause it to fail even though the message is not really a warning, but more advising one that service on 4WD is due.
 
  • Like
Reactions: otherclive
Nov 6, 2005
7,341
2,046
25,935
Visit site
Just to add that the car is in for its MOT on Monday and I will update after I have collected it what has happened. :D
Good luck for Monday - my VW has just sailed through with no advisories, again - and the new (to me) Citroen I've just bought had a couple of advisories and an easily corrected fail.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Buckman
Jul 18, 2017
11,935
3,322
32,935
Visit site
Great news.

We have just found that that the dealership never did the correct service according to the service plan so it means another 140 mile round trip! The problem seems to be that the technician looked at the mileage and did the service accordingly instead of taking into account the car's age. The car should be on about 100k as per normal usage, but has only done 60k in 8 years. However main thing is that it passed the MOT so grateful for that, but needs new tyres within the next couple of months. On our "normal" usage the tyre would have been due for a change 2 - 3 months ago as I like to change them at 3mm or perhaps a bit earlier. They are cheap budget tyres made by a company called Royal?
 
Last edited:
Nov 11, 2009
20,096
6,130
50,935
Visit site
We have just found that that the dealership never did the correct service according to the service plan so it means another 140 mile round trip! The problem seems to be that the technician looked at the mileage and did the service accordingly instead of taking into account the car's age. The car should be on about 100k as per normal usage, but has only done 60k in 8 years. However main thing is that it passed the MOT so grateful for that, but needs new tyres within the next couple of months. On our "normal" usage the tyre would have been due for a change 2 - 3 months ago as I like to change them at 3mm or perhaps a bit earlier. They are cheap budget tyres made by a company called Royal?
I had a similar problem when I bought my car as it was 5 years old with 35000 miles. A full Subaru history except for the last service by the previous owner. So I’ve brought it back into line except for spark plugs changed every 50000 or five years. They will be changed in november at mot. It’s done 42000:so far.
 
Nov 16, 2015
10,394
2,787
40,935
Visit site
We have just found that that the dealership never did the correct service according to the service plan so it means another 140 mile round trip! The problem seems to be that the technician looked at the mileage and did the service accordingly instead of taking into account the car's age. The car should be on about 100k as per normal usage, but has only done 60k in 8 years. However main thing is that it passed the MOT so grateful for that, but needs new tyres within the next couple of months. On our "normal" usage the tyre would have been due for a change 2 - 3 months ago as I like to change them at 3mm or perhaps a bit earlier. They are cheap budget tyres made by a company called Royal?
Surely tyres are not changed on service time life, but on wear, I also like to change my tyres at 3mm , as I feel them loosing grip in the wet. And I never use budget tyres. Probably due to my faster driving style when solo.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts