MOTs. They’re an annual source of worry for many. However, if this is your first time running an MOT, or if you’ve not paid much attention before, knowing what happens could prove helpful. In line with this, today, we’re looking at some key things you should know about MOT checks as follows. Hopefully, this will equip you with the knowledge needed to prep for your own upcoming check.
What is an MOT Check?
First off, we should start out by considering what an MOT check is. Simply put, an MOT check is a test conducted on cars aged three years and over. These intend to check whether a car is safe to drive on the road. As such, they provide a thorough assessment of the vehicle, looking for minor and major faults that could compromise safety.
Checking Past MOT Records
Is there a way to look back on previous tests? Well, yes. This is actually a very simple process.
Entering the number plate into a vehicle check service can provide a wealth of information about the car. Just one part of this is its MOT records. In turn, this allows you to check if a car has passed or failed previous MOTs. You can also check whether there were any advisories and the cause of failure; this is useful when prepping for your next MOT. It’s also handy when buying a new car, as it allows a clearer understanding of the vehicle’s past use.
How MOT Checks Work
MOT checks are a pretty simple process. To start with, you’ll need to book the test with your local garage. Try to make sure this falls before the annual deadline; otherwise, if your last MOT expires, you won’t be able to drive the car. However, if you book the test after the last expires, you are allowed to drive directly to the test centre. Keep in mind that your car must still be safe to drive; if it’s not, you’ll have to arrange transport for the vehicle.
Once at the garage, the staff will test your car thoroughly for safety and potential concerns. In doing so, they will compile a list of faults for the vehicle. Hopefully, these will mostly be minor faults, which may cause an advisory result. However, if there are any serious problems impacting safety, these are major faults.
Some common areas of focus include:
– Windscreen.
– Bonnet.
– Lights.
– Brakes.
– Wheels and tyres.
– Mirrors.
– VIN and registration plate.
– Doors.
– Seats and seat belts.
– Steering.
– Suspension.
– Fuel system.
– Emissions.
– Bodywork and structural integrity.
Your car should pass its MOT so long as there are no major issues. However, it is worth getting advisory problems repaired promptly, as these could escalate into a more worrying issue with time. This could even cause your next MOT to fail, which then requires more time and hassle to resolve.
If your vehicle does have a major fault, don’t fret. It’s not the end of the world. Indeed, all you will need to do is get the car repaired; it should then pass its next MOT, provided no new faults have arisen. However, there’s no guarantee your insurance company will pay for this; if not, the car may be written off if the cost of repairs is deemed unjustifiable for the car’s value.
Also Read: How to help your car pass its MOT