Top 5 avoidable reasons to fail an MOT

Despite what you might think, not all MOT test centres want you to fail an MOT! Nearly 40% of MOT’s fail first time and a large proportion of these fails are due to simple avoidance reasons. Follow our helpful advice and be sure to do a DIY MOT test first to ensure you don’t get punished for avoidable failures.

  1. Lights

Amazingly, one in five vehicles will fail an MOT due to having a bust light bulb. Be sure to check all the lights on your car including indicators front and back, headlights, dipped lights, hazards and brake lights, as well as your main front and rears.  If any are not lighting properly, replace the bulb before you take your car to an MOT centre. It is usually very easy to replace bulbs in modern cars and most bulbs cost under a fiver.

  1. Suspension

The next avoidable reason to fail an MOT is suspension; 13% of all MOT’s fail for this. It is difficult for you to perform a full suspension check, however, if you apply your weight to each corner of the car and then release you can see apparent problems with your shock absorbers if the car does not quickly settle back to normal. If your shock absorbers are not working properly you should take your car in to a garage for this work to be done before you take it to an MOT test centre, the work will be cheaper beforehand.

  1. Brakes

Faulty brakes account for 10% of all MOT test failures. This is not easy to test yourself but if your brakes feel loose and unresponsive or if the handbrake slides up without resistance it is likely there is a problem. Again, you should get this sorted before your MOT to save money.

  1. Tyres

Illegal tyre pressure and/or tyre tread makes up a sizable 8% of all MOT test failures. Be sure to check your tyre pressure to see that they are in line with manufacturer guidelines. If tyres are underinflated fill them up for free or for a minimal charge at a petrol station. Tyre tread should be at minimum 1.6mm, and can be checked with a quick 20p tyre test.

  1. Windscreen

If the driver’s windscreen is damaged your MOT test is likely to fail, front windscreen wipers are included in this check so these need to be working correctly and in conjunction with washers also. Damage to the windscreen should total no more than 40mm in the whole area and 10mm in the driver’s central view. You should seek to repair any type of crack in the windscreen before you take your car to an MOT test centre; windscreens make up 7% of all MOT failures.

Other reasons to fail an MOT that you can notice yourself are a leaking exhaust, dirty or broken licence plates, low brake fluid, broken mirrors and non-working seatbelts, so be sure to check all of these as well.

MB Services are a reliable, honest team of hard working mechanics who specialise in diesel pump repair, dpf filter cleaning and efficient MOT testing and car servicing. If you check our website you will see that we offer excellent mot and service deals and that our rates are highly competitive. We are based in Sheffield and provide the best service and mot deals to people throughout Yorkshire. Why not come in and see us for an honest, professional MOT test next time that your MOT is due.