MOT question

Hades

Hades

Hades

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I'm considering a 15 year old car. In the last MOT it had a few advisories. If I buy it then I fully intend to get those fixed. But my question...

The current MOT lasts until October. If I put it through an MOT as soon as I buy it, and it fails, then would the current MOT be void? i.e. can I take a chance and get it through an extra year right now?

** for all those worried I will drive an unsafe car, this will not happen... I expect to do around 1k to 2k in this car in the first year while I start a restoration project (on a very tight budget!). And would rather know 'where I stand' as far as MOT is concerned than worry about it in October.
 
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I asked this last time I went for an MOT and the tester told me that it would indeed be void if it failed.

Since they have to log each car into the system before testing it, they have to report what they find.
 
Thanks. I was hoping to use it as a quick check to find out if the advisories had got worse. I'll look for a pre-check instead.
 
You have a certain amount of days after its failed though, if I remember what I read on the back of my last MOT failed certificate, to remove it from the MOT station to be fixed, though of course the MOT station can then, if they choose, charge you for a partial re-test and they have to check the work carried out + surrounding areas.

The mot checklist is available online in a few places, if you have at least a jack and a good portable lamp you can do a pre check yourself for anything really obvious, play in bearings, rust within prescribed distance of certain components and the like. Most cars fail on stupid things like tyres, bulbs, wipers. headlight alignment etc.

On an older car rust is always going to be your enemy. Arches, sills, suspension, floors etc. Eats away at brake pipes too. Rubber perishes nicely with age.

Hmmm, wrote a bit more than I wanted or needed to there :P
 
Can't you ask for a mock MOT, at least the current one stays intact and you will be told what needs fixing for it to pass a real test.
 
Thanks guys. There is uneven wear on the tyres (need to replace them anyway) and some corrosion on the brake pipes (I obviously wouldn't want to drive it if they are iffy).
 
alg1a said:
Can't you ask for a mock MOT, at least the current one stays intact and you will be told what needs fixing for it to pass a real test.
Click to expand...

This.

Assuming its a honest back street place and not a big chain they should have no problems doing a Pre MOT check assuming you are happy to pay for an hours labour. They will do all the checks a normal MOT requires and let you know what needs fixing. Just make sure you make it quite clear that its not to be done on the MOT computer system :p
 
If a dangerous fault is found then I believe an application can be made and then it would be illegal to drive the vehicle.
However in 99.9% of cases, if the vehicle fails its MOT the current certificate still remains valid.
An MOT certificate only confirms road worthyness on the day the test was carried out.
 
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