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If you own a car over three years old, you may be aware that every year, by law, you must have your vehicle MOT’d. It can be quite a frustrating experience, especially if you own an older car but, it has to be done. On the plus side; the MOT doesn’t need to be done on a new car until three years after the date it was registered.
Why are MOTs needed?
The MOT is the “Ministry Of Transport test for car safety”. It’s pretty self-explanatory; the mandatory yearly test is in place to ensure that all vehicles are safe for road use. If the car passes the test you get a green certificate and if it fails, a red one. The test also covers the harmful gases that are expelled from the exhaust. If these are too high, your car will fail the test. In short, MOTs keep the roads safer and cleaner.
Booking your MOT
You need to book an appointment with your local MOT station (most garages can do them). MOTs usually take one hour but when booking an appointment it would be a good idea to allow for a little extra time in case of delays.
Before you take the car to the MOT station, make sure it is not too dirty and that you have emptied the car of any loose items as some MOT testers may refuse a vehicle if it is overweight or if they have difficulty checking the inside.
You can usually expect to pay around £50-£60 for an MOT test but there are offers around. Check out the Hendy Advantage Scheme which gives you half-price MOTs amongst a number of other discounts and benefits.
What’s involved in an MOT test?
What isn’t? Every part of the car is checked thoroughly. This means tyres, brakes, steering, suspension, fuel system, electrics, seats, seatbelts and other parts of the inside. Rust around the body and chassis are also checked. As you can see, it is an extremely in-depth test.
The emissions test (that tests exhaust gases) is possibly the biggest downfall of older cars due to the ever-tightening restrictions on vehicle emissions.
By keeping your car regularly maintained and servicing it every year, you shouldn’t have any trouble passing the MOT. Of course, the car will probably fail the MOT at some point, but by keeping it up-together you are minimising the chance of a red certificate.
The Law – Is it changing?
The government were planning to change the current 3-1-1 MOT system (first MOT is done after three years and then every year from then on) to a 4-2-2 system (first MOT after four years and then every two years). The benefit of this would be less MOTs for drivers which would be great, but it would also increase the amount of dangerous cars on the roads - not so great. The system we have now is one of the best in the world, so the government have decided against the change and are leaving it as 3-1-1.
Don’t get stressed!
MOT testing and the regulations surrounding it can be confusing and stressful, but don’t panic - if you have any questions about MOTs or would like to book one, email me at theinze@hendy-group.com .
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