MOT test

Main article: Vehicle inspection

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The blue 'three triangles' logo, which stations have to display, identifies approved MOT test stations.

The Ministry of Transport test (usually abbreviated to MOT test) is an annual test of automobile safety, roadworthiness aspects and exhaust emissions which are applicable to most vehicles over three years old in the United Kingdom if they are used on public roads.

The name derives from the Ministry of Transport, a defunct Government department which was one of several ancestors of the current Department for Transport, but is still officially used. The MOT test certificates are currently issued in Great Britain under the auspices of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), an agency within the Department for Transport. Certificates in Northern Ireland are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

Many local car repair garages throughout Great Britain are authorised to perform testing and to issue certificates. In Northern Ireland tests are performed exclusively at the DVA's own test centres.

History

When originally instituted in 1960 by the then Ministry of Transport, the test applied to vehicles over ten years old. As of 2006, it applies to most road vehicles over three years old, including motorcycles. Ambulances, taxis, and passenger vehicles with nine or more seats need testing after one year, while some "limited use" and agricultural vehicles are exempt from test altogether.

The list of items tested has been continually expanded over the years. Recently a sophisticated exhaust gases emissions test has been introduced for vehicles with internal combustion engines — the required standard varies depending on the age and type of the engine. Some motorcycles and older vehicles are only required to pass a visual emissions check.

Test classification

The test classes are:

• Class I — Mopeds and motorcycles up to 199 cc
• Class II — Motorcycles 200 cc and over
• Class III — Tricycles and three wheeled cars
• Class IV — Cars, motor-caravans, goods vehicles up to and including 3,000 kg gross weight, Minibuses (with no more than 12 passenger seats)
• Class V — Private buses (with more than twelve passenger seats and up to sixteen)
• PSV test (Class VI) — Public service vehicles used for hire or reward with more than eight passenger seats (test conducted by VOSA/DVA staff, usually at their own stations).
• Class VII — Goods vehicles (between 3,000 kg and upto including 3,500 kg in gross weight)
• HGV test — Goods vehicles over 3,500 kg GVW and trailers over 1,020 kg unladen weight or 3,500 kg GVW if fitted with over-run brakes (test conducted by VOSA/DVA staff usually at their own stations, or at VOSA approved designated premises).

Rules and regulations for the United Kingdom

All test stations are required to display a "VT9A Fees and Appeals" poster on their premises which must be available to the public. It gives information on all test types and information on what to do if a vehicle fails its MOT test.

MOT is an abbreviation of the Ministry Of Transport but has been continued to apply to the inspection itself. The actual designation for the pass certificate is VT20 and failure is the VT30 with any advisories being the VT32, every "MOT" Test will provide an emissions report.

It is illegal to drive a non-exempt vehicle that requires a test on public roads without a current MOT, except when driving to or from (subject to your insurance terms and conditions) a pre-booked MOT Test. Possession of an up-to-date VT20 test certificate is a pre-requisite for obtaining a tax disc, and advertisements for used cars frequently say how many months are left to run on the current VT20 certificate (although the VT20 points out that it does not, in any way, guarantee road-worthiness at the time of sale). A vehicle could suffer major damage after an MOT has been carried out but the certificate would still be valid and obtaining a new one is not required under the test regulations (some insurance companies may ask for a new test but this is purely their own policy, not national law). However, driving a car which is in a dangerous condition on a public road is always illegal, irrespective of its test status.

Vehicles used exclusively on certain islands or other areas mainly surrounded by water, being an island or area from which motor vehicles, unless constructed for special purposes can at no time be conveniently driven to a road in any other part of the United Kingdom by reason of the absence of any bridge, tunnel, ford or other way suitable for the passage of such motor vehicle are exempt from the requirement for a VT20 Certificate to obtain a tax disc.

The Official UK MOT inspection manuals are hosted here.

Re-tests

When a vehicle fails the MOT test it can be re-tested at the same station for free, or a reduced price, up to the end of the next day for minor items (see the poster displayed at the test station) provided it is returned within a specific time period. If the vehicle remains at the test station for repair after failure then it can have a free re-test up to 10 working days after the original (the 10 days does not include weekends or bank holidays so the period is effectively about two weeks). If it is removed from the premises for repair and then returned before the end of 10 working days it can have a test at half the original fee paid. After the 10 day period a full MOT fee is charged again and a new MOT carried out. The next day free re-test for certain failure items is still in place although some items have been removed (such as headlamp aim) which can be adjusted in the test if they are accessible and possible to do so with ease. A free re-test may be offered by the station at any point for marketing purposes. Test stations and the MOT website provide full and up-to-date information regarding what is a free re-test and what is not.

The test fee, the re-test fee, number of re-tests and the time period between test and re-test, is at the discretion of the proprietor of the test facility.

Overview of the test

Any vehicle can be MOT tested, even if it is unregistered at the time (e.g. kit cars or imported vehicles). Imported vehicles that are MOT tested in the United Kingdom must meet British standards, even if the importation is temporary. An example would be the combined stop lamps (brake lights) and indicators commonly found on American vehicles, which are not legal for use in the UK.

MOT testing centres are regulated and licensed by the Department and Transport and VOSA for the purpose, and the individual testers carrying out the inspections also have to be trained and certified. The decision to pass or fail comes down to the discretion of the tester following the Guidelines issued by the VOSA. Inevitably, some of these decisions can be subjective in nature (e.g. whether the extent of corrosion on a body panel renders the vehicle unsafe or not).

The MOT test covers lighting *, steering, suspension, emissions and road safety in passenger transport. The individual tests include the body and vehicle structure, windscreen, wipers and washers, doors, seatbelts, seats, mirrors, horn, brakes, steering, suspension, exhaust system, exhaust Co2 emissions, fuel system, tyres, wheels, lights, bonnet, boot and tailgate, towbar, and registration plates. An abridged summary of the individual inspections can be found here: the full details must by law be provided on request by all garages licensed to perform MOT tests, and are currently published in VOSA's leaflet The MOT Test and You. An MOT pass certificate indicates that at the time of the test, the vehicle met or exceeded the minimum safety standards determined by the VOSA guidelines.

Areas not tested include features such as the clutch, gear box, car battery and engine mountings, as the failure of these components would not represent a safety risk. Maintenance that is necessary for the reliable and efficient operation of the vehicle but not its safety forms part of a service inspection that is recommended by manufacturers, but is not a legal requirement for operating the vehicle on the public highway.

The MOT does not determine whether or not after market features fitted are legal for use on the public highway. Specific testing on these parts is required at designated testers, because a vehicle that passes an MOT test could still have major mechanical defects from the after market products fitted that make it unsafe on the road. For example, a spear fitted to the bonnet of a car will not cause it to fail an MOT (body modification not corroded or damaged), but could still be lethal.

Items such as the windscreen, wipers and exhaust systems are tested for condition and operation. Windscreen wipers will fail the test if they do not adequately clear the windscreen when used in conjunction with the washers. The exhaust system, in addition to checks on its condition and security, is tested so as to ascertain whether it emits a volume of noise that is obviously greater than another vehicle of the same make and model with a standard exhaust system fitted. A vehicle with an exhaust that is obviously louder than a standard vehicle will fail the test. Dismantling of any part of the vehicle during the MOT test is strictly against test regulations, making the assessment of corrosion or worn components in certain areas on certain car models very difficult to determine accurately. As the MOT is only an inspection for road-worthiness at the time of test, the inspection of most accessories is not included. One exception is tow bars: their condition and their attachment to the vehicle is now included in the MOT.

• (lighting) Lighting is not tested for a 'daytime use only' MOT test.
• A 'daytime use only' MOT test is a test on a vehicle which has no front and rear position lights fitted or has had those lights removed, painted, masked or disconnected such that those lights cannot be readily unmasked/re-connected

Appeals against MOT inspections

If a motorist who has recently had a vehicle MOT tested disagrees with the outcome of the inspection, they are entitled to an appeal against the decision. The appeal must be lodged with the VOSA/DVA within twenty-eight days of the original test date if the item(s) in question are mechanical in nature. Three months are allowed for corrosion issues, precluding the corrosion of brake discs, brake lines or the exhaust system. Mileage, or the lack thereof, incurred after the inspection has no relevance to the appeal even if the vehicle has not been used for several months after the test. If the items in question are repaired, replaced or removed from the vehicle, the ability for the motorist to appeal becomes null and void. Items on a vehicle that fail the MOT such as tyres or windscreen wiper blades may not be appealed against as they are quite simple to replace and therefore cannot be adequately determined if they were indeed the ones fitted at the time of inspection. To appeal against an MOT pass is free of charge however, to appeal against a failure will incur a fee whose value would amount to the normal maximum price of an MOT for that vehicle. This fee will then be refunded if the appellate inspection finds in favor of the motorist lodging the appeal. If the appellate inspection finds the vehicle was incorrectly diagnosed, the VOSA/DVA takes appropriate action against the station involved. This can range from penalty points being issued for minor infringements, to the station's MOT license being rescinded for more major violations. The VOSA/DVA has only the power to discipline the station involved and cannot pursue compensation of any kind for the complainant; that is the responsibility of Trading Standards. An MOT station cannot be held responsible for defects that occur to the vehicle several months after the test was conducted. The appeal process and how to lodge one is outlined on the reverse of the VT20 pass certificate and the VT30 failure notice.

Mileage

It is a common misconception that the MOT inspection provides an irrefutable record of a vehicle's mileage. However, this is not always correct as although the mileage is recorded during the test no part of the inspection requires the test station to determine if this is indeed the actual mileage. It is merely recorded as a point of reference (in the same way the colour of the vehicle is) and any tampering of an odometer (or clocking) would not be determined as part of the MOT inspection.

Fees

As of 6 April 2010, the maximum fees were set as:

Class	Vehicle Type	Cost (06/04/2010 onwards)
I	Solo Motorcycles	£29.65
II	Motorcycle Combinations	£37.80
III	Three wheeled vehicles	£37.80
IV	Cars & light vans	£54.85
IV	Private Passenger Vehicles & Ambulances (9-12 Passenger Seats)	£57.30
IVa	Includes seat belt installation check	£64.00
V	Non-PSV minibuses and buses (13-16 passenger seats)	£59.55
V	Non-PSV minibuses and buses (17 or more passenger seats)	£80.65
Va	Non-PSV minibuses and buses with additional seat belts (13-16 passenger seats)	£80.50
Va	Non-PSV minibuses and buses with additional seat belts (17 or more passenger seats)	£124.50
VII	Light goods vehicles	£58.60
n/a	Partial retest fee	Half test fee
n/a	Maximum fee for duplicate test certificate	£10.00

See also

• Vehicle inspection
• National Car Test (Republic of Ireland)
• Warrant of Fitness (New Zealand)
• Shaken (Japan)

External links

• UK MOT Testing Magazine website
• MOT Forum - ask the experts
• MOT Freelance testers and Garage Vacancies
• VOSA official web site
• DVA official web site
• official inspection manuals
• MOT 2007 Failure rates by make and model
• List of MOT centres in the UK