| 1.
When is my car required to undergo an MOT test? |
| Everyone
who uses a vehicle on the road is required to keep it
in a roadworthy condition. The roadworthiness is checked
in the interests of road safety and the environment by
the test we call the MOT. |
| 2.
When is the first test required? |
The
first test is required once a car is three years old.
(There are different rules if you use it as a taxi)
When your car is tested, the MOT looks at some important
items to see if it meets the legal requirements.
You should be aware that the MOT certificate is not a
guarantee of the general mechanical condition of a vehicle.
If a car is registered with no prior use on the road,
the MOT will be required three years after the date of
manufacture. For example, a car registered "from
new" on 25th April 2000 will require its MOT no later
than 25th April 2003.
If a car is used prior to registration, as would be the
case with an import, the MOT will be required three years
from the end of the year of manufacture. For example a
car manufactured at any time in 2000 will require an MOT
no later than 31st December 2003.
There is no grace period given after these dates. |
| 3.
What are the maximum test fees? |
| Click
here to view the maximum test fee for each class of vehicle.
The maximum fee for the test should be displayed on a
poster in every test station. A test station may charge
less than the full fee if they so wish. |
| 4.
Where do I get an MOT? |
| There
are around 19,000 garages approved as MOT test stations
all over the country, which can carry out your MOT test.
The blue three triangles logo which stations have to display,
identifies approved test stations. |
| 5.
How early can my car be submitted for test? |
An
MOT can be carried out at any time.
If the vehicle is presented for test within the calendar
month prior to the date that the MOT is due, the test
certificate will run from the date of the test to one
year after the expiry date of the current certificate
( eg if the current certificate was due to expire on 1/4/03,
and the vehicle was presented on or after 2/3/03, the
certificate would run from the test date until 1/4/04).
To have this extension, the vehicle owner should present
their old certificate to the Test Station to verify that
the extra time is applicable. The tester would then write
the serial number of the old certificate in the appropriate
section of the new certificate.
The same rule would also apply if the vehicle was taken
in within a calendar month of its first MOT . In this
case, the vehicle owner would need to present their registration
document and the serial number from this document will
be entered in the "last certificate serial number"
box on the MOT.
If the vehicle is tested earlier than one month before
its due date, it will only run for twelve months. |
| 6.
How are vehicles tested? |
| The
standard MOT test procedures are laid out in a manual
which the test station should make available to you, should
you wish to view it. MOT test stations have designated
test bays where they conduct the test, using specialised
equipment. If your vehicle has failed the test, you will
be given a failure document with reference to the manual.
You can watch the test from a designated viewing area,
but you are advised not to interrupt the tester while
they are working. |
| 7.
Who supervises the MOT Scheme? |
| VOSA
is the Government Agency responsible for supervising the
MOT Scheme.
It
does this by:
Authorising
MOT stations and Nominated Testers
Setting standards for testing and conditions of appointment
for test stations and testers.
Training Authorised Examiners and Nominated Testers
Visiting garages on a regular basis and carrying out
checks to ensure testing standards are maintained. This
will include checking the testers’ competence and
maintenance of approved equipment
Giving advice/taking disciplinary action where tests
are not being carried out to the required standards
Dealing with appeals and complaints from MOT customers
Conducting roadside checks on emissions
|
| 8.
What if you disagree with a test result? |
| Firstly
discuss it with the MOT test station if possible, and
do not let anyone carry out repairs to your vehicle.
If
you think your car has:
been
incorrectly failed: complete appeal form VT17 available
from any MOT test station, or ring our enquiry line
on 0845 6005977.
You must complain within 14 working days of the test
and we will require a full test fee from you. We will
then offer an appointment within 5 days to recheck your
vehicle. If your appeal is successful, some or all of
the test fee will be refunded to you.
been
incorrectly passed, let us know as soon as possible.
We will offer an appointment within 5 working days to
re-check your vehicle (without charge) provided:
Not more than 3 months has elapsed since the time of
the test for a corrosion defect or 28 days for other
defects
The
address of your local VOSA office is displayed in the
MOT test station
|
| 9.
What if you think your test certificate is not genuine?
|
| Please
contact our enquiry line on: 0845 6005977. Calls are charged
at the local rate |
| 10.
What if I have lost or damaged my test certificate? |
| If
you have lost or damaged your test certificate, but know
where and approximately when the vehicle was tested, you
can obtain a duplicate test certificate from the MOT test
station which tested the vehicle.
The
maximum fee for a duplicate certificate for a car is
£10 or half the test fee if less.
If
you do not know where the car was tested originally,
you cannot obtain a duplicate certificate. You will
need to have your car tested again.
If
the test station has closed down, your local VOSA office
should be able to help.
|
| 11.
If you are not satisfied with the service you receive
|
| If
you are not satisfied with the way your test was conducted,
please let us know. This enables us to make sure MOT test
stations are providing a good service. Contact the VOSA
Area Manager at your local office. The address is shown
on the fees and appeals poster at your MOT test station
or you can ring our MOT enquiry line: 0845 6005977 |
|
All
infomation above is provided by http://www.via.gov.uk
|
