Welcome to the ‘Car Owner's Guide to the MOT’ page.

 

All EC states must comply with a Directive to ensure that vehicles using public roads are mechanically safe and operate within emissions limits.

 

In mainland Britain, cars and light commercial vehicles must be Tested when they are three years old (except for taxis) and annually thereafter (this varies throughout the EC).

 

The MOT is designed to examine some important safety and emissions aspects of your car's operation to see that they meet certain legal requirements at the time of the Test.

 

Passing the MOT does not indicate that the vehicle will remain roadworthy until the next Test in a year's time.

 

In some Countries the mechanical and emissions Tests are separate. The UK MOT now covers over 150 checks of safety-related and emissions systems.

 

Where can I get an MOT?

There are over 19,000 garages throughout the UK authorised by VOSA to carry out MOT Testing. These Vehicle Testing Stations (VTS) are authorised to carry out MOT Testing on various classes of vehicle (see below).

 

VTSs will display the blue MOT 'triple triangle' logo. A non-authorised garage may have the MOT Test carried out on your behalf, but they must take it to an authorised VTS to have it carried out. If your MOT is carried out in this way you will be charged for VAT on the Test Fee. An MOT Testing Station may charge less than or up to the maximum allowable fee for the MOT Test, but may not charge more.

 

Diesel engined vehicles may only be MOT Tested at a VTS which is approved to carry out Diesel Testing.

 

What if my MOT certificate has already expired?

You are allowed to drive directly to a Vehicle Testing Station for a pre-booked MOT Test. 

 

MOT Test Classes 

Class	Description	Age first Test required (years)
I	Motor bicycles up to 200cc.	3
II	All Motor bicycles, with or without sidecars.	3
III	Three-wheeled vehicles up to 450kg u/l (over 450 kg are in class IV).	3
IV	Cars, passenger vehicles, motor caravans and dual-purpose vehicles in all cases with up to eight passenger seats.	3
	Goods vehicles up to 3,000kg Design Gross Weight	1
	Taxis and Ambulances in either case with up to eight passenger seats.	1
	Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual -purpose vehicles in all cases with 9 to 12 passenger seats that: are fitted with no more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction; or are identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built; or have been Tested as class IVA, VA or VIA (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.
IVA	(as normal class IV Test but with additional check on certain seat belts). Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual -purpose vehicles in all cases with 9 to 12 passenger seats that: are fitted with more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction and: are not identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built; or have not been Tested as class IVA, VA or VIA (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.	1
V	Private passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with 13 or more passenger seats (incl community buses etc) that: are fitted with no more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction; or are identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation to all seats when built; or have been Tested as class VA or class VIA (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.	1
VA	(as normal class VA Test but with additional check on certain seat belts).  Passenger vehicles, ambulances, motor caravans and dual purpose vehicles in all cases with 13 or more passenger seats (incl community buses etc) that: are fitted with more seat belts than the minimum required because of their construction and; are not identified as having been fitted with a type approved seat belt installation when built; or have not been Tested as class VA or class VIA (PSV) with at least the same number of seat belts as are currently fitted.	1
VI, VIA	Public Service Vehicles (PSVs)	1
VII	Goods Vehicles over 3,000kg up to and including 3,500kg DGW.	3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computerision of the MOT is intended to reduce fraud and assist in analysis of Testing quality.

VOSA (the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency) is the government agency responsible for the MOT, and they have commissioned Siemens to computerise the MOT Test. From the vehicle owner’s point of view this simply means that instead of writing the results of the Test onto a form, the MOT Tester keys the results directly into the main computer from his or her terminal at the Testing Station. VOSA believe that computerisation will significantly improve the security of the Test certificates and reduce fraud, as well as bringing many other benefits.

 

Computerisation of GB’s 19,000 (Approx) Testing Stations was completed by the end of March 2006. While members of the public will still receive a paper document from the Testing Station following a vehicle Test, the legal ‘proof’ of the MOT is now the electronic record of the Test held on the VOSA computer.

 

Members of the public can confirm that a vehicle has a valid MOT by either contacting VOSA on 0870 330 044 or visiting their website at www.motinfo.gov.uk.

 

 

Automated Test Lanes (ATLs)

Automated Test lanes which don’t require the use of an assistant on the majority of vehicles have recently been introduced. These incorporate 'shaker' plates to Test the vehicle’s steering and suspension systems and also have fully automated roller brake testers. Additionally, since the summer of 2006 existing Testing Stations have been permitted to update their current equipment to enable one-person operation by retrofitting similar steering and suspension Test equipment.

 

Permitted emission levels for modern vehicles are less than 10% of historical limits.

Any car registered for use on the road in the EC must pass some kind of mechanical and emissions test – known in the UK as the 'MOT', after the old Ministry of Transport, which instigated the Test. In the UK cars must be Tested at the end of their third year (if imported, measured from date of manufacture), and yearly after that. The EC directive allows variations on this from state to state. A recent initiative announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to change this to allow cars to be Tested after four years and two-yearly after that, was judged by government advisors to be ill-advised as it would allow potentially dangerous cars to remain on the roads for up to two years.

 

In some states the mechanical and emissions Tests are separate, and the combined cost can be up to £50 (the current maximum fee chargeable in the UK (for a cars and light vans) is reviewed every year. Click here for complete list of current MOT charges (and proposed increases if available)

 

• The UK MOT now covers over 150 checks of safety-related and emissions systems.
• Modern Cars with catalytic converters are permitted less than 10% of the hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions of older cars.
• 'Computerisation' of the British MOT Test was completed in March 2006, reducing the importance of the paper MOT certificate (although a 'receipt' will still be issued for the Test).
• September 2005 saw the introduction of Automated Testing Lanes (ATLs), which enable rigorous Testing of steering and suspension and one-man Testing.

 

Each MOT Tester must log on to the VOSA MOT computer to record each vehicle he or she Tests.

The only people who are authorised to examine your vehicle for MOT and approve the MOT computer entry via a smart card and pass code are called, officially, Nominated Testers – better known to motorists as MOT Testers.

 

They may only examine specified items, and in a manner laid down in a document officially known as ‘The MOT Inspection Manual’, generically known in the trade as ‘The Tester’s Manual’.

 

The Tester can only fail an item if the fault found is listed in the Manual under the heading ‘Reason for rejection’ which he must find very specifically on the MOT computer’s failure menu.

 

Whereas the MOT was originally a British test specified by the Ministry of Transport, as it was then called, it is now specified by the EU. However member states do have a degree of flexibility so the ‘MOT’ varies in detail from one member state to another.

 

For example, a French or Spanish registered vehicle, if being driven in the UK, may be MOT Tested here and given a 'pass' or 'fail' according to its condition, while the owner of a UK registered vehicle would find it difficult, if not impossible, to have thier vehicle tested in other EU states, making it necessary to return to the UK to stay 'legal'.

 

An important aspect of the MOT is that the vehicle’s equipment is Tested, by and large, to the standard to be expected during its year of manufacture. For example, the brakes and emissions of a 1919 Morris will not be Tested to the same criteria as a current model  Mercedes.

 

No dismantling is allowed for the MOT Test.

Testers are not permitted to dismantle any item during an MOT Test, hence if the amount of wear on brake shoes, for example, cannot be determined by direct observation because they are enclosed by the brake drum, then provided the braking efficiency is to the required standard then they will not result in a failure, even though the brake shoes may be on their service limit.

 

It is important to realise therefore, that a recently passed MOT does not imply that a vehicle may safely be driven without service for another whole year (indeed, any subsequent suspicion of problems with any of a vehicle's safety systems should be immediately investigated).

 

Further, if the Tester believes an item which he cannot see (or is not authorised to Test) may be in a dangerous condition, he may not 'Fail' the item, although he may 'Pass and Advise' – issuing a pass for the vehicle but making a note on the computer about a possible dangerous condition. Following computerisation, motorists have access to this information via the VOSA website.

 

The text and graphics on the next page describes in detail how each item is Tested during the current UK MOT Test.

 

Next Page (Detailed list of Tested items)