Getting an MOT is an essential part of car ownership and for many it’s viewed as a hassle. As a result, it’s important to make sure your car has the best chance of passing to both make sure you only have to go to the garage once and also so you don’t spend any more than you need to on staying legal.
Regit’s research has revealed around 40% of cars fail their MOT at the first time of asking and here’s some of the silly things people get stung by…
Car clutter
We’ve all been in a friend’s car that’s an absolute dump. Well, believe it or not, this can actually prevent you from passing your test. A garage can simply refuse to conduct the MOT if they deem the car to be too full of clutter inside.
So if you know someone, or perhaps have a particularly messy child, get them to clean to it up before they next go for a test at the very latest.
Dangling accessories
Back in the 90s and early 00s, hanging dice were popular amongst certain demographics while extravagant air fresheners have come and gone. Fortunately, things these days tend to be more subtle, but if you are still fond of a bit of car paraphernalia be aware that if the garage conducting the test believe it obscures your vision in any way, your car will fail its MOT.
Get a FREE MOT with a full manufacturers service using code FREEMOT!
Number plates
Another one more common amongst younger drivers is numberplates. Jazzy fonts and incorrect spacing will both lead to an instant fail. It’s very unlikely this will slide too, as, it’s instantly recognisable by the police and the garage will not risk its MOT licence so a driver can keep their illegal number plate.
Chipped windscreen
Windscreens can become chipped by lose debris or stones on the road. Most of these can be fixed instead of needing a new windscreen, but make sure you don’t rock up to your MOT with a chip if it hasn’t been fixed first – this will lead to a fail even if the chip is small and repairable.
Suspension
About 13 per cent of MOT failures are due to suspension problems. So, if you suspect there are any issues with your own car’s suspension, get it checked out immediately and save yourself the cost of an MOT.
Headlamps
Broken bulbs or electrical issues with lighting are another major cause of failures. This is easily remedied with a quick bulb fix so again, make sure you’re checking the lights on your car regularly, and definitely before you go for your test.
