thegarageblog.co.uk : M.O.T. myths, and a few testing truths.

During the course of an typical working day, we’ll usually do around 12 MOT tests on various different cars or vans, and even the odd motorcycle or scooter. As one of the 19,000 or so garages in the UK that are authorised to carry out the MOT test, we have to adhere to a strict set of rules and practices set-out by the government executive agency called V.O.S.A. (a catchy acroynm for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency). Every aspect of the MOT scheme from how the actual test is done, what equipment we use and even what parking facilities and waiting area facilities we have for customers is rigidly controlled by VOSA regulations, and failure to comply means disciplinary action for us!

For anybody that’s lucky enough to have a new car every 3 years and has never needed an MOT, here’s a little history of the test, and how it came to be known as the MOT (as opposed to the less-catchy, VOSA)

Following the second world war and into the late 1950s most people purchased second hand cars and light vans, many of which were originally manufactured before 1940 and vast numbers of which were in far from ‘tip top’ condition, nor were they regularly serviced. As a result there were numerous vehicles being used on the road which were potentially dangerous. In particular they often had defective brakes, lights and/or steering.

To address this problem, in 1960 the then Ministry of Transport under the direction of the Minister of Transport Mr Ernest Marples decided that all vehicles over ten years old should have their brakes, lights and steering checked every year. This became known as the “ten year Test”, or alternatively the Ministry Of Transport Test – which became shortened to ‘MOT’. The Testable age was progressively reduced to 3 years by April 1967.

Over the years the MOT Test has been extended and expanded to the comprehensive examination it is today. Significantly, since 1992 when it became mandatory for cars to have catalytic converters fitted, new and more-stringent emissions testing was introduced to ensure that these systems were working properly, and metered smoke testing for Diesel-engined vehicles was also brought-in so that the black-smoke belching cars and vans would become a thing of the past.

There’s no doubt whatsoever that the annual testing of a vehicle’s roadworthiness really does improve road safety and reduce accidents. I’ve been to certain countries that have NO testing requirements whatsoever, and believe me, travelling in a 20 year old Mercedes 200D Taxi at 40mph through the rutted streets of Asuncion, Paraguay was an experience I’ll never forget. I could feel every steering and suspension joint knocking violently underneath me, whilst the driver literally wrestled with the steering wheel to try and keep the beast on the road. When he braked to stop at some traffic lights, the car lurched across the road as the sound of metal scraped upon metal of the worn-out brake pads! I was on my way to the dentist at the time, and seriously wondered if I’d have any teeth left for him to fix when I’d arrived! Still, that journey was a pleasure compared to the battered 1984 Toyota Cressida I came back in, but that’s another story!

So, once your car has passed the MOT test and you’ve driven away with your lovely green VT20 certificate, is it OK to assume that a year of trouble-free and safe motoring awaits you? Well, the answer is usually ‘NO’ unless you have a 3 year old car and only cover 1000 miles a year! Having a new pass certificate actually (in the words of Direct.gov) means the following:

Your MOT certificate confirms that your vehicle, at the time of its test, (as far as can be reasonably determined without dismantling) met the minimum acceptable environmental and road safety standards required by law. It doesn’t mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the life of the certificate and isn’t a substitute for regular maintenance.

Now, that might seem a bit of a shock to some people, who seem to think that having an MOT automaticaly guarantees them a year of trouble-free motoringl, but as we have to adhere strictly to the letter of the law when it comes to VOSA’s testing standards of testable items, there are many aspects of the car that aren’t part of the MOT test and therefore can’t be failed (no matter how bad).

Provided that the vehicle is capable of being driven to and from the testing station, all its various ‘flaps’such as bonnet, boot and fuel cap can be opened, and it’s neither so dirty underneath or so full of junk that it can’t be reasonably examined, we’ll test it to the required standards.

The fact is that on average, only around 30% of cars fail the test on the first attempt, and often these are just on ‘minor’ items such as lights and tyres. There are many ‘non testable’ items that although potentially dangerous or inconvenient from the driver’s point of view if they don’t work, they can’t fail. A few examples of these are:

Reversing lights are not tested so even if not working, they can’t fail.
There is no requirement to have a spare wheel with a legal tyre. If though, your spare wheel is stored underneath the car and is about to fall-out onto the road, then it can fail for being insecure.
If your heater doesn’t work and you have no means of demisting or de-icing the inside of the windscreen, it’s obviously very dangerous to drive (paticularly at this time of year) but there’s no requirement to test it.
Your front foglights can be broken of not working, as these aren’t tested either.
It doesn’t matter if your rear windscreen wiper doesn’t work, as it’s not tested.

As well as these things, the test also doesn’t cover the condition of the engine, gearbox or clutch. As long as the engine can pass the emissions test, it could be on it’s last legs and still pass. Part of our duty is to check the engine oil level before we rev it to do the emissions test. You’d be shocked at the number of cars that have a dangerously-low level of oil in the engine. In fact, for the minority of owners that never have their cars serviced, this forced topping-up by us for the MOT might be the closest it ever gets to a service!

We often test cars where the clutch is slipping so badly that I wouldn’t fancy my chances of getting-up a moderate incline without an acrid burning smell and clouds of smoke for the frazzled friction plate, but as our test bay is level, it’s not for us to judge. All our tester will do is to ‘Advise’ the vehicle presenter that although not a testable item, they really should get it changed. It’s even been known for a car to break down on the way back from passing the MOT, on an unrelated and non-testable item. Naturally, the disgruntled owner will usually blame us, on the grounds that ‘we just did the MOT’ but once we show them what the cause is (i.e. a normal failure of a component, or a simple lack of servicing) they normally sheepishly apologise and let us repair it.

Just like a learner driver that passes their practical driving test with numerous ‘minor’ faults and just scrapes-through, there are some vehicles that barely pass the MOT and are accompanied by a long list of ‘advisory’ items that require attention. It might be that the whole car is generally worn and knackered, but that not one single testable component was so worn that (in the words of the MOT manual) ‘repair or replacement is immediately necessary’. For example, the front brake pads could have 1.6mm of friction material left, and the MOT minimum limit is 1.5mm. In this case, the tester would advise that the brake pads were ‘close to the limit’. That way, when they started scraping in a months time, the owner will know what it is, and sould have them changed.

This system of advisory items is one of the most useful elements of the MOT testing process, and provides a much better indication of the condition of a car than the actual pass certificate. For example, if you’ve just bought a used car that has a ‘new MOT’ take a look at the right hand side of the VT20 certificate that says ‘Advisory Notice Issued’. If it’s printed YES in the box, but isn’t with the certificate, ask the seller where it is. An honest seller will give it to you with the actual pass certificate . Although the car will have a brand-new MOT and only be £1000, the advisory list (if you had it) could easily read the following:

Front brake pads close to minimum limit
Front brake discs very worn
Severe engine oil leak
Rear brake efficiency only just meets the minimum requirement
Underside of vehicle heavily corroded
Both front lower suspension arm inner mouting bushes deteriorated, but not resulting in excessive movement.
Centre and rear exhaust silencers heavily corroded.
All four tyres close to legal limit (1.6mm)
Both front outer CV gaiters cracked and leaking slightly.
Catalyst emissions test CO content at fast idle on maximum limit

Now, that same £1000 car that your son or daugher has saved hard for, although it met the minimum standard on the day of the MOT, obviously only just scraped-through. Add up the cost of geting that little lot sorted-out and you’ll easily add another £1000 to the cost. All those advisory items are likely to need fixing before it’ll ever pass another MOT and many will need fixing immediately if the car is to remain safe and legal! That’s why the more ‘unscrupulous’ seller will often throw-away this VT32 ‘Advsiory Notice’ as it’d put you off buying his festering heap. Fortunately, the computerisation of the MOT scheme in 2005 ensured that the details of all advisory items are stored on the VOSA database, and can be recalled at the test station. If buying a car with a new MOT and it says there’s an advisory notice is present, but the seller has ‘mislaid’ it, just call the garage whose name appears on the certificate and they’ll be able to print a duplicate advisory notice. Fortunately, many of our customers are keen to even have any advisory items rectified soon after the test, in order to keep the car in a safe condition. Also, the best way to ensure that there’s little to advise is to have the vehicle regularly serviced, as many of the wear and tear items will be identified before the MOT is due, and replaced if necessary.

Sadly, unlike some countries that have MOT tests, we can only issue a test certificate valid for 12 months, even if we think that the car won’t necessarily be safe next month.

Sometimes, when we get a real ‘gem’ in for testing, I wonder what it’d be like if we could issue a 3 month MOT certificate as the car is obviously knackered and its owner clearly has no intention of fixing anything other than the ‘bare minimum’ to pass. These are the owners that when their car fails for a tyre being below the legal limit of 1.6mm, they’ll return for a retest with a secondhand tyre fitted that might have just 2mm of tread remaining! Even though a new tyre would cost £35 and a secondhand one that’s almost illegal might be £10, they’ll still go for the cheaper option.

Anyway, I’ll continue with my MOT-related musings another time as it’s getting late, and this post is already very long. In the meantime, keep safe and check those advisory items. Oh, and if you find yourself in a foreign land and about to undertake a journey by taxi where the vehicle looks to be poorly maintained, ask the taxi driver if you could check his tyres, lights, brakes and exhaust before he starts the meter running!