Interesting change to 6-month MOT extensions

marlot

The government have made a small change to the MOT extensions.

"If you take your vehicle for its MOT and it fails

Your MOT extension will no longer apply if you take your vehicle for its MOT and it fails.

Your vehicle will need to be fixed and pass its MOT before you can use it again.

Example

Your vehicle’s MOT was originally due to expire on 3 May 2020, but has been extended to 3 November 2020.

You take your vehicle for its MOT in August and it fails. You must stop using the vehicle until it’s fixed and passes another MOT test."

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020

AdrianC

Interesting.

Presumably, only applicable within the extension period. It's a small change, but it's a huge one - if the fail issue is fixed, but the car hasn't been retested, then it would normally be legal to drive so long as the expiry date hasn't been passed. Now, nope.

kmb500

Why would anyone have their MOT done so early? This won't really affect anyone who was planning on using the extension.

mluton

kmb500 said:

Why would anyone have their MOT done so early? This won't really affect anyone who was planning on using the extension.

Safety, I know my brakes need changing, not everyone does and its 6 months longer.

Car_54

mluton said:

kmb500 said:

Why would anyone have their MOT done so early? This won't really affect anyone who was planning on using the extension.

Safety, I know my brakes need changing, not everyone does and its 6 months longer.

So you get your brakes fixed. What has that to do with wanting an early MOT?

neilmcl

They have always said that you mustn't drive a car that's unroadworthy, so I don't see anything in the above that has changed that.

[Deleted User]

It seems very reasonable to me. 

AdrianC

neilmcl said:

They have always said that you mustn't drive a car that's unroadworthy, so I don't see anything in the above that has changed that.

The difference is that you now can't drive it after the car is fixed... until you've had a retest.

Jonesya

AdrianC said:

neilmcl said:

They have always said that you mustn't drive a car that's unroadworthy, so I don't see anything in the above that has changed that.

The difference is that you now can't drive it after the car is fixed... until you've had a retest.

Even before under the original arrangements if it failed with a dangerous fault you should not drive it at all because it was unroadworth, if it failed with a major fault you could drive it but needed to get it repaired, although even that was somewhat ambiguous on whether a car with a major fault was roadworthy or unroadworthy.

Previously it was the case that you were allowed to drive a car without a valid MOT to a pre-arranged appointment at a garage for repair or for an MOT test.

As far as I can see, if it fails with a dangerous fault there's no difference, but if it fails with a major you definitely need to get it repaired and retested before driving it for other purposes.

AdrianC

Jonesya said:

AdrianC said:

neilmcl said:

They have always said that you mustn't drive a car that's unroadworthy, so I don't see anything in the above that has changed that.

The difference is that you now can't drive it after the car is fixed... until you've had a retest.

Even before under the original arrangements if it failed with a dangerous fault you should not drive it at all because it was unroadworth, if it failed with a major fault you could drive it but needed to get it repaired, although even that was somewhat ambiguous on whether a car with a major fault was roadworthy or unroadworthy.

"Unroadworthiness" and the test fail were unrelated.
If it was unroadworthy, it was illegal to drive to the test centre - and almost certainly illegal to drive the previous day, too.

"No MOT" is a paperwork offence.
"Unroadworthy" is a serious one, with points.

Even then, not all test fails mean unroadworthy.
13-pin trailer socket with an electrical fault... and you aren't towing?

Previously it was the case that you were allowed to drive a car without a valid MOT to a pre-arranged appointment at a garage for repair or for an MOT test.

Unchanged.

As far as I can see, if it fails with a dangerous fault there's no difference, but if it fails with a major you definitely need to get it repaired and retested before driving it for other purposes.

Nope, the rules around roadworthiness and driving without an MOT are unchanged.

Literally ALL that has changed is that, previously, a fail did not cancel out a current MOT. Now it does - but only in the extension period.

If it failed, and you had it repaired to a roadworthy passworthy standard, but hadn't retested, then you were legal before.
Now you aren't.

Silvertabby

kmb500 said:

Why would anyone have their MOT done so early? This won't really affect anyone who was planning on using the extension.

The extension was just to give drivers a bit of breathing space in case total lock down went on for longer than expected.  Garages are opening up now, and we have just had our car serviced and MOTd (having been due in April).  Never crossed our minds to wait until December !