MOT testing
The term 'MOT' refers to the Ministry of Transport. Although this no longer exists, and the services are now covered by the Department of Transport, the name has remained. The MOT test is a requirement for vehicles at or older than three years and is carried out annually. Fundamentally, it is simply a test to ensure that a vehicle is safe to use on the road and meets statutory requirements with regard to exhaust emissions and similar. It is thorough, and while it is no indication of the condition of a vehicle, it does cover all the safety aspects. The test includes seats and seatbelts, warning lights, switches, the braking system (including brake pipes and connections), steering, suspension components, wheels and tyres, windows, lights, and just about everything else related to safety.
The government's set charge for this is £54.85, but we charge a basic rate of £50. This also includes a re-test if necessary. This means that if any work is required, we can carry it out for you (at our normal competitive rates) and if the re-test is carried out within two weeks, there is no additional charge for the MOT itself.
An MOT test can be carried out at any time and the certificate will be valid for twelve months. However, if a test is carried out less than 28 days before the current certificate expires, a 'pass' will be valid from the date of the current certificate. In other words, if your MOT is due to expire on 31 March, then if we test your car on 2 March and it passes, the new MOT will still be valid from 31 March that year.
If your MOT is due soon, please contact us as early as possible, because we are generally quite booked up for testing.
