MOTs

[Mel]

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere and I have missed it. OH took the car in for its MOT. The chap on reception told him that DVLA have tightened up and now if the car fails you are only allowed to drive it to get it repaired and for a retest. I had not heard this before. Anyone else?
Mel

 

[sgtangel]

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere and I have missed it. OH took the car in for its MOT. The chap on reception told him that DVLA have tightened up and now if the car fails you are only allowed to drive it to get it repaired and for a retest. I had not heard this before. Anyone else?
Mel

Hi Mel, if your car fails an MOT, it is therefore not deemed legally roadworthy, and should not be driven on public roads until it has passed its test. The law allows you to drive it to have any required repairs completed, and then to have the re-test carried out, but outside those occasions, you would need to use another mode of transport. Your car should remain off road until test passed.

It is truly remarkable how many people completely forget to check when their car`s MOT expires... so you have done well to actually remember to get it done Hope it is not too expensive....

 

[ProfJohnL]

Sorry if this is covered elsewhere and I have missed it. OH took the car in for its MOT. The chap on reception told him that DVLA have tightened up and now if the car fails you are only allowed to drive it to get it repaired and for a retest. I had not heard this before. Anyone else?
Mel

That has actually always been the case, its just tat in the past there was no easy way for the police to spot vehicles with expired or failed MOT's but since its all gone computerised they can spot them when you pass a speed camera which uses the Automatic number plate recognition systems.

Some people may also think that as you can have you car MOT'd upto 14 days before the expiry of the old certificate, that if the if the vehicle fails the latest test, then you still have upto 14 days grace on the old certificate. Again That is a big NO also , as any official MOT will always supersede any previous test result.existing certificate will cover you until the original expiry date - No it wont.

 

[Mel]

Thanks both. I suspect lots of folks are cheerfully driving about in between the MOT failure and getting the repairs done. In our case, the car passed its MOT; it was the sevice we had booked at the same time and the new tyre ( not an MOT failure but close) that caused the eyes to water.
Mel

 

[Dustydog]

More importantly Mel your Insurers have direct access to the DVLA database and will see the vehicle failed. Consequently it is without a valid MOT. Have an accident and the Insurer may deny you an Indemnity as your vehicle is not roadworthy.

 

[chrisbee1]

Come on Prof, keep up! It's one calendar month, not 14 days. Also, there are ANPR cameras that have nothing to do with speed cameras.

So Dusty, are you suggesting that if your car fails it's MOT for say number plate digits incorrectly spaced an insurance company could reject a claim because your car is un-roadworthy?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

So Dusty, are you suggesting that if your car fails it's MOT for say number plate digits incorrectly spaced an insurance company could reject a claim because your car is un-roadworthy?

I hope so. :evil:
Rules are rules.

 

[Dustydog]

Come on Prof, keep up! It's one calendar month, not 14 days. Also, there are ANPR cameras that have nothing to do with speed cameras.

So Dusty, are you suggesting that if your car fails it's MOT for say number plate digits incorrectly spaced an insurance company could reject a claim because your car is un-roadworthy?

Yes. A Condition Precedent to Policy Liability will see you in deep guano if it is breached. Read your policy!

 

[Damian]

Quote " Come on Prof, keep up! It's one calendar month, not 14 days"

You are both wrong.
You have 10 working days to have faults fixed and return for a free retest.
Longer than 10 days and the full fee is payable.

 

[chrisbee1]

Quote " Come on Prof, keep up! It's one calendar month, not 14 days"

You are both wrong.
You have 10 working days to have faults fixed and return for a free retest.
Longer than 10 days and the full fee is payable.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

The Prof said:

"Some people may also think that as you can have you car MOT'd upto 14 days before the expiry of the old certificate, that if the if the vehicle fails the latest test, then you still have upto 14 days grace on the old certificate"

I was pointing out you can have your car MOT'd one calendar month before expiry, effectively giving you a 13 month certificate. So I was not wrong.

 

[tonybur]

I is my understanding,that a fail will not overrule an existing pass. That would be a ridiculous state of affairs, and take away any reason for having your vehicle tested one month before it's due date. If your car does fail it's mot, and you still have an mot certificate that's valid,it's obviously prudent to have the items rectified. I think you aught contact DVSA if you require any further clarification

 

[Dustydog]

I is my understanding,that a fail will not overrule an existing pass. That would be a ridiculous state of affairs, and take away any reason for having your vehicle tested one month before it's due date. If your car does fail it's mot, and you still have an mot certificate that's valid,it's obviously prudent to have the items rectified. I think you aught contact DVSA if you require any further clarification

Read the due diligence clause in your insurance policy.
If you use your vehicle in the full knowledge it is unroadworthty you are heading for a major crash

 

[tonybur]

Sorry Dusty,just answered the question. However,I'm afraid your incorrect. Just because a car passes an MOT does not mean it's fit to be driven on the road. Failing an MOT also does not mean it is unfit to be driven on the road,the MOT is a test of the vehicle to a very low standard. The pass and fail criteria can be jaw dropping.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Quote " Come on Prof, keep up! It's one calendar month, not 14 days"

You are both wrong.
You have 10 working days to have faults fixed and return for a free retest.
Longer than 10 days and the full fee is payable.

Hello Damian,
was not referring to the repair period which you correctly quote, but the facility to have your test performed in advance of the expiry of the last certificate.

 

[Thingy]

Actually, you can have your car MOTd anytime you want. As has been said, one month early will give you 13 months instead of 12, but for example, if your car has 5 months left, and you want to sell it with a full MOT, you are perfectly at liberty to do so. :cheer:

 

[colin-yorkshire]

Sorry Dusty,just answered the question. However,I'm afraid your incorrect. Just because a car passes an MOT does not mean it's fit to be driven on the road. Failing an MOT also does not mean it is unfit to be driven on the road,the MOT is a test of the vehicle to a very low standard. The pass and fail criteria can be jaw dropping.

wont be long now before someone posts a link from the gov website to give a definitive answer and then someone else will say it is wrong. always happens,

however my two pence worth is,
1. you can present a vehicle for a test, at any time, but up to one calendar month before it is due. if it passes you will receive a 13month certificate, and the previous certificate will be updated.
2. if it fails you have 10days to represent it for testing without a fee,
3.if it does fail, and there is more than 10 days left on the old certificate, the tester will not issue a fail on the national data base, as there is a current certificate on going [ie there is no mechanism for cancelling a certificate early] he will however issue a paper certificate showing the faults.that require attention.
4, if the vehicle is out of test on the day it is presented. and fails you can drive it to a place of repair, and back to the station for retest, but nothing else,
5. the test certificate although valid for 12 months, only guarantees the vehicle is road worthy at the time of the test and cannot be relied upon for road worthiness any time after the test,
6. if a vehicle has a fault or faults that at the time of the test that are considered to be ok on the test but might cause concern later, advisories will be noted on the certificate, these must be fixed before the next test.

now feel free to tell me i'm wrong, some one usually does, :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[ProfJohnL]

Sorry Dusty,just answered the question. However,I'm afraid your incorrect. Just because a car passes an MOT does not mean it's fit to be driven on the road. Failing an MOT also does not mean it is unfit to be driven on the road,the MOT is a test of the vehicle to a very low standard. The pass and fail criteria can be jaw dropping.

Hello Tony,
I may have got the number of weeks wrong, but the principle is still sound. To legally use use a motor vehicle on the road, its most recent MOT must be within its expiry date and a PASS. So if you present your vehicle for test before its due date, and it fails, the latest result is the one that is logged against the registration number. You cannot rely on the unexpired time on the previous MOT to see you through.

The MOT test is carried out to a specification with criteria. that is what counts legally, not personal opinions about the test criteria.

It is the natural state of all 'standards' to always represent the lowest common acceptable condition that represents a PASS. Anything that fails to reach that minimum is by definition sub-standard, Because of this role of benchmarking the 'minimum' condition manufacturers should always seek to exceed the applicable 'standard'

 

[Dustydog]

Colin wrote
3.if it does fail, and there is more than 10 days left on the old certificate, the tester will not issue a fail on the national data base, as there is a current certificate on going [ie there is no mechanism for cancelling a certificate early] he will however issue a paper certificate showing the faults.that require attention
Read more at http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/towing-driving-and-safety/53055-mots?start=10#ldUTws5SMP6eOh5R.99

Colin this is the only point you and the Prof disagree on. I didn't know the technicality of no3 above
I don't intend Googling the answer I'll takeyour word on it :cheer:

My point is about your motor Insurance policy. If you knowingly use a vehicle that is an MOT failure other than in the situations you have correctly stated then there is a possibility you Insurer may refuse you an indemnity in the event of an accident .

 

[chrisbee1]

Sorry Dusty,just answered the question. However,I'm afraid your incorrect. Just because a car passes an MOT does not mean it's fit to be driven on the road. Failing an MOT also does not mean it is unfit to be driven on the road,the MOT is a test of the vehicle to a very low standard. The pass and fail criteria can be jaw dropping.

wont be long now before someone posts a link from the gov website to give a definitive answer and then someone else will say it is wrong. always happens,

however my two pence worth is,

6. if a vehicle has a fault or faults that at the time of the test that are considered to be ok on the test but might cause concern later, advisories will be noted on the certificate, these must be fixed before the next test.

now feel free to tell me i'm wrong, some one usually does, :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry Colin, you're wrong.

Point 6:

An advisory is just that, advice that there is an item which in the testers opinion needs attention. There is no legislation to state it must be done before the next test. As an example, when Mrs chrisbee drove her car into my towbar it damaged her front number plate. An advisory issued 1st & 2nd MOT, not mentioned on the third then advised at the 4th. All at the same MOT station.

 

[tonybur]

Sorry Colin,your item 3 is totally incorrect. The procedure when you test a vehicle,after a few pre checks are completed,are to log the the test on with DVSA. you test the car and input the results. If the car has a sidelight out,it's a fail. It can be repaired, after the test is completed, and a Fail and Pass is issued. If you don't repair it,you issue a fail. That of course is assuming the test criteria enables you to fail the sidelight as not working,as opposed to advise.
There are many reasons when a car passes an MOT and I'm sure you yourselves would deem it unroadworthy. What about a 100% tint to the front windows? That's not a fail item. It's a minefield.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

Sorry Colin, you're wrong. "" there you go"", :lol: :lol: :lol:

you may well be right on the insurance issue DD if you had a accident, but I wouldn't know I've never had one, B) all I would say is that there is no compulsion to have the vehicle tested early, there may be times when you wish to have it done when buying or selling a vehicle, or in my case to insure the continuation of the certificate.

mines due 1st Aug, so will be in on the first week of July, full service and MOT, usually that's all that is required, however if he does find something that requires attention he will not issue a fail certificate, but note that repairs are required and arrange for a time to have it in for the jobs done and another test, I only ever pay one test fee for this, and the jobs are usually done within two weeks [depends how busy he is] there has never been an issue using the car in between these dates as a fail certificate has not been issued and therefore the current one is still valid.

as for advisories well what can one say, if it needs doing on this test by next year it should fail, only had 2 advisories one for a tyre just on the legal limit and once for the front brake pads wear limit I assume either of these faults would have been a fail if not done ASAP, never mind after 12 months of running until the next MOT.

as for using a broken number plate for 4 years after being advised about it, "no comment"

 

[tonybur]

I can see how you would get a pass this way Colin. They service the car and fix anything that they believe will trip you up at that time or rebook you in for additional work plus the MOT. this of course ensures you pass first time but also gives a false representation of your car at time of test. When your car is MOT'd the items that have been repaired pre test are not listed as failure items, and therefore give inaccurate data to DVSA regards the roadworthyness of cars on the road everyday. Not saying you do,but let's say your car goes in with 4 illegal tyres,various lights not working,brakes grinding on metal and the handbrake cable snapped. Quite a death trap. But when your cars is MOT'd following its service and MOT it actually is a well maintained car,according to what the tester has informed DVSA. DVSA do frown upon this practice. If it continues test frequencies will eventually alter to 4 2 2 testing rather than the current 3 1 1 (years)

 

[colin-yorkshire]

Sorry Colin,your item 3 is totally incorrect. The procedure when you test a vehicle,after a few pre checks are completed,are to log the the test on with DVSA. you test the car and input the results. If the car has a sidelight out,it's a fail. It can be repaired, after the test is completed, and a Fail and Pass is issued. If you don't repair it,you issue a fail. That of course is assuming the test criteria enables you to fail the sidelight as not working,as opposed to advise.
There are many reasons when a car passes an MOT and I'm sure you yourselves would deem it unroadworthy. What about a 100% tint to the front windows? That's not a fail item. It's a minefield.

hi, not sure what procedure he uses to be honest I dont really care it works for me and apparently for him as well, may be he doesn't actually test it, but does looks for all the test criteria while he under there, and advises accordingly if it is fine then runs the test and issues a certificate, or has it in does the repairs and then tests it. used the same garage for over 40 years, because I trust him, thought all garages were the same, seems that is not the case, well you learn something new everyday, just wish he did bikes, oh that's another story. won't go there,

 

[tonybur]

Defiantly the main thing Colin,you trust him. As I tell all my customers,you can always rip someone off once. But I want a little profit out of them all,every year. That way,everyone should be happy

 

[colin-yorkshire]

I can see how you would get a pass this way Colin. They service the car and fix anything that they believe will trip you up at that time or rebook you in for additional work plus the MOT. this of course ensures you pass first time but also gives a false representation of your car at time of test. When your car is MOT'd the items that have been repaired pre test are not listed as failure items, and therefore give inaccurate data to DVSA regards the roadworthyness of cars on the road everyday. Not saying you do,but let's say your car goes in with 4 illegal tyres,various lights not working,brakes grinding on metal and the handbrake cable snapped. Quite a death trap. But when your cars is MOT'd following its service and MOT it actually is a well maintained car,according to what the tester has informed DVSA. DVSA do frown upon this practice. If it continues test frequencies will eventually alter to 4 2 2 testing rather than the current 3 1 1 (years)

yeah sounds about right, would not agree about the DVSA being in some way misrepresented though because all repairs that are done between MOT's would fall into the same criteria, for instance if you find a headlight out, or a worn tyre and change the bulb/tyre that's a repair, outside the remit of a mot station, could be the light was out for a couple of hours only or 11 months there is no way of proving it, besides if a test station did fail a mostly roadworthy vehicle for a small issue as you say, then customer service must be a low priority,