MOT retest

Oddjob

I had my car MOT'd yesterday it failed on a suspension fault and brake that was binding. I can get those fixed today but it also has an engine management light on which when I had a tester put on, points to the post cat sensor. I can't get to have that fixed today.

It didn't fail on emissions and it had a new cat about two years ago.

Under the new test, it will fail because of the sensor light but as it was tested yesterday, will the retest be under the old rules even if I can't get the retest booked until next week?

Also, I've just read on another thread that if its tested early, your current MOT is still valid, is this right?

My old MOT doesn't actually run out until June 29th, I had the car tested early because my repair man said that sometimes these sensor warnings are difficult to get off and also so that I knew what repairs they need to do.
Am I still legal to drive the car even though it failed the test yesterday?
Thanks

Car_54

Your MOT is still valid until June 29th.

However, whether it's still legal to drive depends upon whether the brake and suspension faults make it unsafe.

facade

Yes if you have attended to the failure items, as you may see one of these mythical "Police" who might want to check your car over as it will have flagged a failure on a system, but unless you live on Windsor, you would be very unlucky to see one.
(You still have a valid MOT, but can be prosecuted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle with a brake or suspension fault)



Get the sensor fixed as soon as you can, and then if you would have to pay full price for a retest, leave it until June 2nd, when you will get the remainder of the old MOT added on to the expiry date.

Oddjob

Hi thanks for your replies.

The faults aren't classed as dangerous, it is binding brakes, and upper part of macpherson strut has some movement.
The garage are going to try and get it in today. I rang the MOT station to ask what they would retest and they said only what was on the paperwork as failed, so under old test rules, even if it is after Sunday.
I also asked them about if the old test was valid, they said it wasn't, only for driving to test centre and back and to garage and back for repairs as I had had the test done earlier than 30 days from when old one runs out. They said it would go on their system to DVLA as a fail.

I've just asked the garage that will be doing the repairs, if that is right, he said not, he says that it is still valid until the old certificate date unless it was something that they had written as dangerous which they haven't.

I know the new certificate will only be dated from when it is issued, not from the end of June when the old one runs out.

I haven't had to pay for the test at all yet, you only pay when it passes at the garage I went to for the MOT, they don't charge a retest fee. Just have to take it back within 10 days for the retest.

facade

Oddjob wrote: »

I also asked them about if the old test was valid, they said it wasn't, only for driving to test centre and back and to garage and back for repairs as I had had the test done earlier than 30 days from when old one runs out.

They are incorrect, a fail does not invalidate a current MOT certificate.

They said it would go on their system to DVLA as a fail.

They are correct. So you might get stopped by someone with access to the system.

Oddjob

Thank you. The repair people are going to try to do the repairs this afternoon but if not, it will be next week before they can do it.
Even after they have done the repairs, I still need to take it to get a retest so that might not be until next week either.

I need my car on the road due to mobility issues so to not be able to use it would cause me problems.
I did try to ring DVSA to confirm if I could still drive it but can't get through.

The test centre said it would invalidate my insurance if anything happened whilst I was driving it now it had failed.

marlot

Oddjob wrote: »

...
I did try to ring DVSA to confirm if I could still drive it but can't get through.

The test centre said it would invalidate my insurance if anything happened whilst I was driving it now it had failed.

DVSA confirm that the previous MOT remains valid until its expiry here
https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/how-the-new-mot-defect-categories-will-work/#comment-30250

If you've fixed anything which makes the car unroadworthy then you're fine to continue driving.

Most insurance companies state that the car has to be roadworthy. Some used to say that an MOT was required, but most have removed that now [the ombudsman kept ruling against them]. I did some searches a while ago, and the most common reason for insurers refusing to pay [and having it held up by the ombudsman] was for illegal tyres.

Car_54

Oddjob wrote: »

The test centre said it would invalidate my insurance if anything happened whilst I was driving it now it had failed.

Rubbish. You still have a valid MOT.

But you would have a problem if anything happened as a result of the faults for which it failed,

arcon5

I think the garage are thinking about the preservation of the original mot in which if you tested too early you loose.


But how are your brakes binding not dangerous?

System

Oddjob wrote: »

Hi thanks for your replies.

The faults aren't classed as dangerous, it is binding brakes, and upper part of macpherson strut has some movement.

Binding brakes are most certainly dangerous. Binding brakes causes the brakes to overheat. That can result at best in lower braking performance on the corner that is binding to finding you have no brakes at all if the brake fluid gets hot enough. It would be interesting to see if an insurance company would pay you out if you rear ended someone saying your brakes didn't work with binding brakes as a MOT fail.

Depending on how much movement there is in the top of the strut this can affect steering.

Bigphil1474

OP, the MSE way would be to get the brakes and strut fixed, then your car is okay to use under the old MOT, i.e. whether or not it is retested. Worth noting what façade says about scheduling - if you get it tested one calendar month minus 1 day before the expiry date you basically get a 13 month MOT certificate. So you could have it tested on the 30th May, and it will cover you to 29th June 2019.