[Closed] If only every MOT test centre was like this...

unfitgeezer - Member

Only pay if you pass...

Can't see that causing any conflict. Oh no.

Brilliant, so if your car fails you have to get it towed to a garage 🙂

Also, isn't the "only pay if you pass" thing just a play on the MOT rules around not charging for re-test?

You can't get the 'only pay if you pass' but you can certainly get the impartial 'don't carry out repairs' and normally a half price or free partial retest by using council run MOT centre.

Failing an mot will still allow you to drive the vehicle you know..

DrP

I hadn't realised you could drive it to a pre booked appointment, but I suppose that assumes you've already pre booked an appointment at your garage

Brilliant, so if your car fails you have to get it towed to a garage

I hadn't realised you could drive it to a pre booked appointment,

What you haven't realised is that a failed MOT doesn't invalidate the remaining term on your current certificate. So if you MOT a month early (as you're allowed) and fail...you can still drive the car for your normal daily routine before the expiry a month later.

Ah right, that's good to know! Makes not leaving your MOT until the last minute even more preferable!

I must admit, it does seem counter intuitive to me...doesn't a failed MOT mean your car is not roadworthy? I suppose the law simply states that the car has to have a current MOT certificate, but still seems a bit bizarre that a subsequent fail doesn't supersede the old certificate.

Also, do insurers put anything in the terms about cover being invalid after a failed MOT?

"So if you MOT a month early (as you're allowed) and fail...you can still drive the car for your normal daily routine before the expiry a month later"

you can but heaven forbid you have an accident caused by any of your fail items.....

Unless the failure is a dangerous one, like corroded brake pipes, cracked disks, no brake pads, steering fault, etc. Then they can stop you driving away.

Was a bit shocked a few weeks ago with an MOT on our old beat-up car for the farm. Realised the MOT was about to run out so scooted down to a garage i haven't used before but knew they did tyre replacements as all 4 tyres were illegal. Got phoned up an hour later saying it had passed, no new tyres recommended!!

erm, are you sure on that. An MOT is required once a year to prove roadworthiness, but it doesn't then mean that your car stays legal for the year cos you've got a bit of paper saying it was at some point in the past.

If your brakes fail, your emissions start chucking out masses of soot, and your seatbelts fray in the meantime, of course it's an issue and the car isn't roadworthy and you can be stopped and fined appropriately. Only caveat is if you're using it to get to the appt to have it fixed, as noted above.

erm, are you sure on that

Yes I am.

you can be stopped and fined appropriately

Correct, you can be.

Two separate issues. A failed MOT doesn't invalidate a current MOT but driving around in an non roadworthy is car is an offence.

Your car can become unroadworthy the day after you get a new MOT for any number of reasons.

My comment was purely because Peterfile incorrectly assumed that a failed MOT meant you were no longer able to use your car until you had a new MOT.

What's the condition of the toilets?

Taking your car for a MOT is such a PITA, back in the day a local garage use to do MOTs by post, for a small admin fee, much more civilised.

OK, I'll give you that. You wouldn't get done for not having a valid MOT, but you could get done for driving a car in an un roadworthy condition. It's a technicality I guess, the point is that just because you have a valid MOT (ie issued < 12mo ago) doesn't mean the car is roadworthy.

And the toilets in any MOT centre are shocking.........

erm, are you sure on that

Ok, 'they' (the garage) can't stop you dirving away, but nothing to stop them tipping of the plod (which I imagine would be quite satisfying for some poor maligned Kwikfit employee dealing with a knowitall), or you happening to get a random roadside test from VOSA you'd be liable for 7 points and a £2500 fine, and I bet they wouldn't be too lenient as you had a bit of paper stating clearly the car wasn't roadworthy.

My comment was purely because Peterfile incorrectly assumed that a failed MOT meant you were no longer able to use your car until you had a new MOT.

Doesn't the fact that your car has just failed an MOT mean that it's not roadworthy though? In which case it's illegal to be driving it and you won't be covered in the event of an accident?

Or is it possible to have a car fail an MOT and still be roadworthy?

Or is it possible to have a car fail an MOT and still be roadworthy?

I don't think VOSA would throw the book at you for a blown numberplate bulb.

Taking your car for a MOT is such a PITA, back I the day a local garage use to do MOTs by post, for a small admin fee, much more civilised.

Sounds like most motorbike MOT's I've had. Look out of window to check reg number and sign it.

If I recall correctly a car without a current MOT Certificate is allowed to be used on the road when going for repairs or to a prearranged MOT test.

Otherwise you could never get it MOTed!

I'm not sure on the legal stand point but to me roadworthyness is about safety...and as such it's perfectly safe to drive your car if it fails on emissions, has no windscreen wipers on a bright summers day, has no mainbeam bulb if only driven during the day. (Edit ...the number plate bulb is a better example)

I'm not advocating driving unsafe/unroadworthy cars but there's plenty of fail items which mean you can still drive safely until you have the opportunity to fix them/get them fixed.

I don't think VOSA would throw the book at you for a blown numberplate bulb.

Fair point! 🙂

You could have an mot pass on Monday, and then shred your tyres below legal limit on Tuesday, hence could be 'busted' for illegal tyres...
Or your car could fail the mot due to an engine warning light or seatbelt warning light, or have skewiff headlights, but still be safe to drive in certain conditions...hence you could take it to a garage to be fixed...

DrP

Our local garage is owned and run by a woman, no testosterone fuelled bullsh*t, just good honest spannering.

She has got an annoying voice though.

Our local garage is owned and run by a woman, [b]no testosterone fuelled bullsh*t, just good honest spannering.[/b]

Same here, except my local place is run by a man.

Funny old world eh.

Or is it possible to have a car fail an MOT and still be roadworthy?

Mine has an intermittent sensor crisis that turns the abs off, if it happens at the mot it'll fail, even though the brakes still work fine, just no computery abs.