The MOT test is regulated by the DVLA and by UK law, all vehicles registered in the UK must have an MOT test once a year from the age of three years old. When your vehicle is tested, the MOT tester looks at the vital components of your car to make sure your vehicle meets the minimum UK legal requirements for use on the road. You should be aware that the MOT certificate is not a guarantee of the general mechanical condition of a vehicle.
When does my vehicle need testing
If your vehicle is registered with no prior use on the road, its first test is required exactly three years after the date your vehicle was registered (this rule differs if the vehicle is used as public transport, for example a taxi). For example, a vehicle registered ‘from new’ on 1 April 2004 will require its MOT no later than 1 April 2007. If a vehicle is used prior to registration, as would be the case with an imported vehicle, the MOT will be required three years from the end of the year of manufacture. For example a vehicle manufactured at any time in 2004 will require an MOT no later than 31 December 2007. There is no grace period given after these dates.
To preserve the date of expiry on your current MOT certificate, you may present your vehicle for its test up to one month before your certificate’s expiry date. For example, if the current certificate was due to expire on 1 April 2007, and the vehicle was presented on or after 2 March 2007, the certificate would run from the test date until 1 April 2008. The same rule would also apply when the vehicle is taken in within a calendar month of its first MOT. In this case, the vehicle owner would need to present their registration document. If the vehicle is tested earlier than one month before its due date, the MOT will only run for twelve months from the date it was tested.
What if my vehicle fails its test
If your vehicle fails its test, it is automatically listed on the VOSA database as being unfit for road use until all points on the MOT failure sheet are rectified. By law, if a vehicle has failed its MOT test it should not be used on the UK road (except to be taken to and from an MOT testing station). At D&A Autos we will undertake all MOT repairs and offer a free retest if you have your repairs carried out with us.
Contact us to book your next MOT or get a quote on your MOT failure items on 01908 360999, email service@daautos.com