Another MOT question

[Duncodin]

Hey MOT guys. Can I ask a stupid question.

My MOT test is due in September.

If I took my car in for a test a few months early and it failed does that invalidate my current MOT or does the september expiry still stand?

Thanks.

 

[AntStark]

I am not an MOT guy but logic says your car would now be deemed unroadworthy therefore illegal to drive on the road. Why dont you just buy an inspection..most garages do them and will highlight any MOT risks

 

[Argyll Andy]

There’s certain “fails” that make the car unroadworthy and are marked as fix immediately, if you have these afaik you can’t then drive the car until they’re fixed

 

[Pond]

A new MOT test supersedes an existing one. Simples.

As soon as you offer a vehicle for an MOT test, the previous becomes null and void; doesn't matter on dates of the previous.

You can't have 12 months if it passes and 3 months if it doesn't.

 

[Pingu]

A new MOT test supersedes an existing one. Simples.

As soon as you offer a vehicle for an MOT test, the previous becomes null and void; doesn't matter on dates of the previous.

You can't have 12 months if it passes and 3 months if it doesn't.

This is the truth (and the law). If you have a full inspection or an accident, you will be found out.

The computer says different - unless things have changed in the last few years.

 

[John_B]

A lot of misinformation in this thread already.

YES! Your previous passed MOT is still valid until the expiry date, unless a dangerous defect is recorded in the new one.

Getting an MOT

When you need an MOT for your vehicle, what it costs, what happens if your vehicle fails, and how to get mistakes on the MOT certificate fixed.

www.gov.uk

 

[AntStark]

A valid (pass) MOT maybe a condition of your insurance too

 

[Duncodin]

Thank you @John.B that's what I thought.

My reason for thinking of going for an early MOT is that I'm doing a ReBody (see my rebody thread) and, at the low price of an MOT test, I'm thinking of letting my trusted MOT guy take a look. Of course if it's totally unroadworthy I'd understand that I can't drive it. That's pretty obvious. But if it failed on something minor I'd like to just add it to my snag list.

On a different thread a question from somebidy else about knocking @t-tony suggested having an MOT guy look at it. For the price of a test having a proper guy look it over is a super cheap way to find a mysterious knock. As long as a minor fail for something else totally unrelated doesn't invalidate the current valid MOT.

 

[John_B]

Thank you @John.B that's what I thought.

My reason for thinking of going for an early MOT is that I'm doing a ReBody (see my rebody thread) and, at the low price of an MOT test, I'm thinking of letting my trusted MOT guy take a look. Of course if it's totally unroadworthy I'd understand that I can't drive it. That's pretty obvious. But if it failed on something minor I'd like to just add it to my snag list.

On a different thread a question from somebidy else about knocking @t-tony suggested having an MOT guy look at it. For the price of a test having a proper guy look it over is a super cheap way to find a mysterious knock. As long as a minor fail for something else totally unrelated doesn't invalidate the current valid MOT.

You're welcome, I was very interested in the subject last year when I bought mine since it had failed an MOT (hence the sale) but still had a couple of weeks left on the old one.

Of course the other thing to remember is that even without an MOT (should your current one expire), you're still entitled to drive the car to the test centre, or to a location where the corrective work will be carried out (presumably providing no dangerous defects are recorded), they don't stipulate that can't be your driveway! (They also don't stipulate how far away it can be either, which was my 'locked & loaded' excuse when I drove another Z3 I had purchased home from Somerset last weekend...)

 

[t-tony]

The operative word is, “directly” to and from the testing station, which means you can’t go via Tesco or wherever.
IF you had been pulled driving that one home last weekend you wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on if you knowingly drove a vehicle with no current MOT.

Tony.

 

[Duncodin]

The operative word is, “directly” to and from the testing station. IF you had been pulled driving that one home last weekend you wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on if you knowingly drove a vehicle with no current MOT.

Tony.

I tbought it was also to/from a place where work will be done even if that place is not a testing station. Although I didn't think my own drive, or a mates, would qualify.

So, without an MOT somebody can I can still drive the length of the country 'directly' to your ZedShed for a cuppa tea and a sandwich. . . . er. . . I mean, to have 'work done' on the car.

 

[John_B]

The operative word is, “directly” to and from the testing station, which means you can’t go via Tesco or wherever.
IF you had been pulled driving that one home last weekend you wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on if you knowingly drove a vehicle with no current MOT.

Tony.

Respectfully, I disagree

I was driving it (directly) to 'somewhere to be repaired'

 

[t-tony]

No, because I’m not an MOT station and you would have a job on convincing Plod that I was your nearest available repairer.

Tony.

 

[John_B]

No, because I’m not an MOT station and you would have a job on convincing Plod that I was your nearest available repairer.

Tony.

it doesn't say anything about 'nearest available'

 

[Pond]

The above scenarios are intentionally interpreting the MOT laws to suit your purposes. IE "getting around the rules"
If your car fails an MOT it is almost instantly uploaded to the DVLA and PNC. As far as the powers that be are concerned that car has no MOT anymore, therefore is officially unroadworthy.

The laws state that if it fails on a non-dangerous fault but your old MOT is still in date you can "take the car away", not "carry on as usual until it expires". That condition is there to give you a bit of time to get the car repaired, not to ignore the failure and revert to plan A.

If anything happened and your excuse was "it's OK I've got an old one here, we can use that" I honestly don't think you would get very far. Your insurance would probably be invalid for a start. They don't like honouring claims at the best of times.

Sounds like the OP wants use the MOT test as a cheap way of getting an appraisal on the work he has done. That's not what it's there for.

 

[Pingu]

Sounds like the OP wants use the MOT test as a cheap way of getting an appraisal on the work he has done. That's not what it's there for.

You are correct in that they want a cheap check by an expert.

I asked my local MOT guy if he could do an inspection, and he told me that the best thing to do was to put it in for an MOT. He wouldn't be giving it a full inspection, but that it should spot the obvious. A full inspection was about £150 if I wanted a much deeper inspection.

I would be honest with the inspector. They will be interested in the car and try to help. If they are not, find one who is.

Driving from Dover to Aberdeen for a pre-arranged MOT is a well-known loophole. It is legal, but don't be surprised to spend a couple of hours in the cells around Carlisle while you are "processed".

 

[John_B]

Interpretations are like a**holes, we can all find one if we go looking.

The only thing that matters are the words and how they are written. OK, I'll accept "take the car away" is not the same as "carry on as usual", but nor is it "you must not drive another mile until the faults are rectified". It means you can take your car away from the garage/test centre and are not obligated to leave it behind. It also 100% does not invalidate the previous MOT as you claimed.

Similarly, unless the law states the car 'must be driven directly to the nearest authorised repair centre' - which it doesn't - they cannot possibly prosecute someone for driving hundreds of miles across the country to a residential garage, driveway, or anywhere else providing that is a suitable and legal place for the car to be worked on. You might get some attitude from a cop who's had a big ol' bowl of grumpy flakes that day, but nothing is going to come of it

If the rules and laws are open to interpretation then the onus is on the govt/DVSA/whoever to clarify them so that there can be no vaguity. You're not going to get points or a fine for breaking a law that is not explicitly documented.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

For the price of a test having a proper guy look it over is a super cheap way to find a mysterious knock

Why not just ask them to have a look for the mystery knock, saves having to do unrelated stuff (like emissions)? Or wait till you've got it stripped for the rebody, if you're capable of doing that much work finding a knock shouldn't be too hard, and with wings and things off it'll be a lot easier looking.

 

[Duncodin]

. . .

Why not just ask them to have a look for the mystery knock, saves having to do unrelated stuff (like emissions)? Or wait till you've got it stripped for the rebody, if you're capable of doing that much work finding a knock shouldn't be too hard, and with wings and things off it'll be a lot easier looking.

I don't have a knock. My above comment about a knock was referring to somebody else's answer to somebody else's question on some other thread.

That just got me thinking of my own question.

 

[AntStark]

I got an inspection on my first Zed done by a BMW indy for £60 .. it was very thorough and included all the MOT checks that would result in either fails and advisories - tyres bushes, rust etc . I got a load of pictures and a priority list of things I should look at repairing/changing first. Well worth the money IMO