Guide · MOT
What actually happens at your MOT
The MOT is not a mystery and it is not a service. It is a defined roadworthiness check with a published list of things the tester has to look at. Here is what that looks like from the pit, and what the result really means.
First, the basics
An MOT is a snapshot, not a warranty
A Class 4 MOT — ordinary cars and small vans — checks that a vehicle met the minimum legal standards at the moment it was tested. It is not a check of mechanical condition, and a fresh certificate does not promise the clutch will last the year. That is what a service is for, and the two jobs are often best done together so the car only comes off the road once.
Most cars need their first MOT three years after registration, and every twelve months after that. There is no grace period: if the certificate has expired the car cannot be driven on the road except to a pre-booked test or to a garage for repairs.
On the test
What the tester works through
Lights and signalling
Every bulb, plus aim, colour and condition of the headlamps. Dipped beam aim is one of the most common fails and one of the cheapest to put right.
Brakes
Pads, discs, pipes and hoses looked at by eye, then the actual braking performance and balance measured on a roller brake tester.
Steering and suspension
Wear in joints, bushes and shock absorbers, plus play in the steering. This is where a car with 80,000 miles on a Surrey B-road usually shows its age.
Tyres and wheels
Tread depth across the width (1.6mm is the legal minimum), condition, correct type and sizes, and the security of the wheels themselves.
Structure and body
Corrosion in prescribed areas, sharp edges, condition of the doors, bonnet, mirrors and seats, and the security of the seat belts.
Screen, wipers and washers
A chip in the driver’s line of sight over 10mm will fail. So will a washer jet that will not wash or a wiper blade that has given up.
Exhaust and emissions
Leaks, security, noise, and the tailpipe emissions measured against the limits for your engine and its registration date.
Warning lamps
Airbag, ABS, engine management, brake fluid, tyre pressure monitoring and power steering lamps all have to go out. An illuminated one is a straight fail.
The annoying ones
Five things that fail perfectly healthy cars
- 1. A blown number plate or side light bulb — a pound's worth of part, a whole re-test.
- 2. An empty screen wash bottle. It is on the list, and it fails.
- 3. Wiper blades that smear rather than clear.
- 4. A stone chip in the swept area on the driver's side that has crept over 10mm.
- 5. A warning lamp someone has learned to live with — the airbag light in particular.
None of these mean anything is wrong with the car. All of them cost you a second trip if nobody checks before the test. Give us a ring the day before if you are unsure and we will tell you what to look at.
Questions we get asked
MOT questions, answered
- How long does an MOT take?
- The test itself is usually around 45 minutes to an hour on a Class 4 car or small van. We test in our own bay here in Haslemere, so book a slot and you can wait with the Wi-Fi or leave the car with us for the morning.
- What is the difference between a fail and an advisory?
- A fail is a defect serious enough that the car is not roadworthy — it cannot legally be driven (with very limited exceptions) until it is fixed and retested. An advisory is something the tester has noticed that is still legal today but will not be in a few months. Advisories are a to-do list, not a sales pitch.
- When can I get the test done?
- You can have the car tested up to a month (minus a day) before the current certificate expires and keep the original expiry date. Leaving it later is the usual reason people end up driving on an expired MOT while waiting for a part.
- What if it fails?
- We ring you, explain what failed and what it will cost to put right, and you decide. Because the workshop and the testing bay are the same building, the repair and the retest happen here rather than the car being moved between two places.
- Do I need to do anything before I bring it in?
- Five minutes of checking saves a lot of annoyance: walk round the lights with someone pressing the pedal, top up the washer bottle, check the wipers are not shredded, and clear the boot and the footwells so the tester can get at everything.
Servicing question rather than an MOT one? Read the guide to service intervals.
Book your MOT in Haslemere
Ring the workshop with your registration and we will find you a slot — and if the car needs work to pass, it gets done and retested in the same building.