Common MOT mistakes

What is an MOT?

An MOT (Ministry of Transport) test is a mandatory annual inspection for most vehicles over three years old in the UK. It checks that your vehicle meets the minimum legal standards for road safety, emissions and environmental performance. Passing an MOT doesn’t guarantee that your car is in perfect condition, but it does confirm that it meets the required standards at the time of the test. Keeping your vehicle well maintained throughout the year can help improve your chances of passing and staying safe on the road.

Jump to:
What is an MOT?
Lights & signals
Suspension
Brakes
Tyres
Driver visibility
Steering
Mirrors
Seatbelts & airbags
Registration plates
Structure & body
What do I do when I fail an MOT?

Lights & signals

Checking your bulbs is simple enough but could make the difference between passing and failing your MOT. Make sure all lights and indications are working, replacing any blown bulbs as needed. You might need help with checking some, like the brake lights. It’s also worth giving the plastic lenses a wipe down.

Suspension

Suspension issues account for one in 10 MOT failures, so it’s important to keep up with servicing your car to prevent any potential suspension problems causing a failure. Unusual clunks, especially when turning corners or driving on patchy road surfaces, can be an indicator that there’s something that needs looking at, so if you’ve noticed anything then it’s best get it checked out as soon as possible.

Brakes

There’s no set rule on how long your brake pads will last, but you can usually expect a set to last from between 25,000 – 60,000 miles. Screeching sounds, your car pulling to one side and a vibrating brake pedal are all signs that your brake pads are on the brink and need replacing. Have a check before your MOT and if there’s any issues, get them replaced.

Tyres

You should be checking your tyres regularly to make sure they’re roadworthy. Legally, you’re required to have 1.6mm of tread across the central three quarters of your tyres; a common trick to check is inserting a 20p coin, if you can see the outer band of the coin then the tread is too low and you need to replace your tyres.

Driver visibility

Being able to see the road properly is an absolute necessity for the driver, so before your MOT you should make sure there’s nothing obscuring your vision. This could include windscreen chips, sat-nav devices sat too high, dangling air fresheners and even a loose bonnet.

Steering

Your MOT will include inspections on your car’s steering, including power steering fluid, quality of parts and to make sure the steering lock mechanism works properly.

Mirrors

Mirrors should be clean and give a clear view.

Seatbelts & airbags

Seatbelts must retract and be free of knots and twists. Airbags should be fully-functional and you should make sure there aren’t any missing.

Registration plates

Make sure your registration plates are fully visible and the bulb to light it at night works properly.

Structure & body

Any sharp edges or dangerous body faults could risk you failing your MOT. If you’re concerned it might be worth getting your car serviced.

What do I do when I fail an MOT?

If your car fails its MOT with a dangerous fault, you can’t drive your vehicle. You’d need to seek repairs before being able to legally drive it again. Attempting to drive it without repairs could result in the driver being fined, banned from driving and given 3 penalty points.

If your MOT reveals a major fault you should be able to drive it to seek repairs- although the car must be roadworthy, or you would risk prosecution. You can only drive the car to be repaired, or to a pre-arranged MOT appointment. If there are dangerous faults, or if the car is unroadworthy, you can’t drive it.

Driving a car that’s failed its MOT risks severe consequences. You can appeal the result if you feel you were failed mistakenly.

You can:

• Leave your car to be fixed
• Take the car for repairs and return it within one working day for a free retest
• Return your car within 10 days for a charged partial retest. After 10 working days you’ll be charged full price for another MOT.

If you can’t afford to fix your car, you could investigate selling the parts, scrap or sell ‘as is’.

In an ideal world, you’ll pass your annual MOT with flying colours. Unfortunately, breakdowns still happen and you never know what’s around the corner, so why not ensure you’ve got great value breakdown cover through Cover My just in case?

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