Every driver in the UK must have their car tested annually, yet many questions seem to arise about this critical legal requirement. Getting to know about your MOT will only ensure a hassle-free experience when going for one. Professional MOT Redcar services offer expert testing as well as advice on how to ensure a first-time pass for your vehicle. Whether you’re a new driver or a seasoned motorist, a little preparation for what to expect goes a long way in saving you precious time, money, and stress during your yearly assessment.
What Is the Most Common Reason for MOT Failures?
Almost 18.9% of MOT failures arise due to problems with lights and signals. This statistic might surprise many members of the driving public, since the vast majority of these problems normally could have been avoided through basic maintenance checks.
Typical light issues are defective indicators, broken brake lights, dim headlights, and blown bulbs. The problems may develop slowly, which makes it easy to ignore them while driving. However, these are safety features that the MOT tester will be checking rigorously.
How Long Does an MOT Take to Show Online?
As soon as your car has passed the MOT, the outcomes are normally placed in the online database of DVSA nearly instantaneously. The majority of drivers can re-check their MOT status a few hours after they have passed the test, thus receiving fast verification of their vehicle’s legality.
However, it is sometimes possible to experience system delays. The outcomes of an MOT can be available through websites in several hours or even in five days. This fluctuation is subject to conditions such as maintenance of the systems, high-demand season and complications.
In case your MOT results do not come online within five days, you should call the DVSA directly to have clarification. They will be able to examine whether there are any delays and that your records will be updated accordingly. This process will be faster when you have your MOT certificate number with you.
How Long Does an MOT Certificate Last?
When you acquire an MOT certificate, the certificate has a validity of precisely a year, counting from the day that you took the test, and it does not matter at what point in the year you have undertaken the test. This is a mandatory requirement that is done on an annual basis, hence making vehicles pass through minimal environmental and safety standards during their lifetime.
It is very important that you pay to renew your MOT, which has to be done before the certificate currently in place expires. Unlawful driving wholly free of a valid MOT is punishable with penalties, fines, and insurance issues. Some drivers will take their MOT test a few weeks before its expiry to avoid checking at the eleventh hour.
What is the current MOT pass rate?
In the UK, the overall number of passes at MOT tests is about 71.8%, which means that almost 3 out of 4 vehicles pass their annual test on the first attempt. This is, however, relative as it also means that approximately 28 % of vehicles cannot pass first-time MOT tests annually.
Such a failure rate demonstrates the necessity of frequently servicing a car and conducting a pre-MOT inspection. Most of these failures occur due to some avoidable problems which could be detected and solved before the official test.
Understanding Major Faults in MOT
A significant fault is a fault that creates a major problem with the safety of that vehicle, affects other road users or compliance with the environment. These major defects lead to the failure of the MOT automatically, and the car cannot travel on the road until the car is repaired.
Such examples of major faults are severe defects in the braking system, catastrophically failed suspension, rusted structures, and failed emissions. These flaws are dangerous and need immediate professional focus on safety.
Major faults cannot be overlooked, as is the case with minor complications or advisories. The car should be repaired and retested, ready to drive back on the road. Trying to drive with critical defects is a crime and is very risky.
How long will an MOT retest last?
The length of the MOT re-test is simply based on what needs to be retested. The process is meant to be effective, and at the same time, proper safety standards are observed.
Partial Retest
In case only certain items in the original test failed, then a partial retest could be done in only 10–15 minutes. Such a targeted procedure analyses only the elements which have failed before, thus it is faster and cheaper.
Partial retests are perfect when the failures involve easy repairs, such as changing bulbs and aligning the headlights. The tester will particularly test the repaired products without repeating the whole process.
Full Retest
A full retest is necessary in case several systems go wrong or when major repairs are required. This full-scale re-test lasts the customary 45–90 minutes, the whole MOT process being repeated once again.
Getting Professional Help
With quality testing and expertise on your side, professional MOT Test services have the expertise and experience to take you through the entire procedure to ensure your vehicle passes all the rules and regulations to be pursued on our roads.
- MOT Test FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About Your Annual Vehicle Check
- Every driver in the UK must have their car tested annually, yet many questions seem to arise about this critical legal requirement. Getting to know about your MOT will only ensure a hassle-free experience when going for one.
- MOT Redcar
