How to Make Sure Your Car Passes Its MOT

All cars in the UK that are over three years of age (four in Northern Ireland) must have an annual MOT to make sure they are fit to drive on the road and meet the current environmental standards. The process involves a raft of checks on your vehicle, including the car brakes, the fuel and exhaust systems, right down to all the lights, mirrors, windscreen wipers and seatbelts.

Every year, countless cars fail MOTs for small reasons that are easy to rectify in advance. To save time, money and inconvenience, there are a number of things you can check and do before the MOT to enhance your chances of getting that all-important pass. Here, we list some of them.

Book Routine Car Servicing

Our first recommendation is to make sure your car is serviced regularly. As a rough guide, that’s either at the intervals suggested by the manufacturer or every 12,000 miles. Apart from anything else, the MOT doesn’t check the condition of clutches, gearboxes and car engines, so having a mechanic test your vehicle thoroughly means you are less likely to get caught out by something going wrong with these important parts. But servicing will also make sure cars’ exhausts and tyres are fit for use, as well as ensuring brakes and other critical aspects are safe for the roads.

Typical Reasons for MOT Failures

Almost two fifths of vehicles fail the MOT first time round, and many of the reasons for failure are avoidable and easily rectified. So before you take your car to the garage for its annual test, check the following:

• Are there any warning lights lit on your dashboard? This can be an instant fail. Get a garage to diagnose the fault and have car repairs done before you book it in for an MOT.

• Is there enough screen wash in the system? It’s a simple matter to top it up but your car won’t pass if this isn’t done.

• Are the windows dirty, or is the driver’s view otherwise obscured by stickers on the windscreen, like parking permits, for instance? Any reduced visibility can mean a fail, so wipe down all windows and clear your view. This goes for mirrors too, and even the lights, which can be dimmed by mud, dirt and grime. Are all your lights working correctly? If not, replace bulbs before you enter the vehicle for its MOT.

• Do your registration plates comply with the DVLA’s rules? They should be in place, not missing, and in the correct type face, with the right spacing, and clean so they can be viewed and read clearly.

• Is there any damage to the windscreen that detracts from the driver’s view?
• Do tyres have the minimum tread depth (1.6mm) and are they intact, ie no tears, bulges or rips in the sidewalls? Are they inflated to the correct pressure?

Book a Pre-Test Service If Needed

If you’re not confident in testing and fixing any of these areas, why not ask a mechanic to check your car out for you before you book your MOT? This is a service we offer at Archer’s Autos, a reliable car garage in Hortonwood, Telford. We’re a licensed MOT test centre, so we’re well aware of what issues can cause your car to fail its annual check and can resolve any problems quickly and efficiently. Among our services, we also offer expert engine diagnostics, as well as tyre tracking and car air conditioning too.