MOT: Exact ruling on doors opening?

B0bbyEwing

Just wondering what the exact ruling is in terms of doors needing to open & what fails an MOT. To explain a little...

So pretty obvious if the door simply wont open no matter what then it's going to be an MOT failure. I'm not asking about that.

My passenger door WILL open, but you have to be pretty specific with HOW you open it. If you just go to the door & softly pull on the handle then it wont open. 
You don't have to yank on it like you're trying to break it but you do have to give it a bit of a sharp/quick pull & then it'll open every time*

So just wondering if this is likely to fail an MOT or not because it does open & when I've had it at the garage recently & other jobs being done on it - some people don't have an issue opening it whereas others have asked me how the hell do you open this thing.

* Unless it's winter ... then it's a problem, but the MOT is September.

Car_54

The MOT manual says:

- Driver and passenger doors must open from the outside using the relevant control.

- Driver and front passenger doors must also open from the inside using the relevant control.

- If "A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly" it is a major fault.

WellKnownSid

Just to say I've had this happen on car doors and it's usually a very simple fix - either DIY or in the garage.

Mr.Generous

How on earth did the Jukes of Hazard get an mot?

B0bbyEwing

Car_54 said:

The MOT manual says:

- Driver and passenger doors must open from the outside using the relevant control.

- Driver and front passenger doors must also open from the inside using the relevant control.

- If "A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly" it is a major fault.

Great stuff. 

That means it passes AND fails then. 

WellKnownSid

Seriously - as I've alluded to - get it fixed because it's not normally a big deal.

Nothing worse in a crash having passengers "wondering how the hell do you open this thing."

And by your own volition, having a crash at any time in winter is a guaranteed "those in the car will burn to death" moment.  Not entirely in the spirit of MSE.

facade

Get it fixed.

The tester will only give the door the gentlest of tugs before deciding it won't open, as they don't want to risk the modern cheap plastic handle shattering in their hand, and the owner insisting it is their fault.

(If you've ever owned an 80s or 90s Rover you know never to pull a door open by the handle as it ends in tears)

jimjames

Mr.Generous said:

How on earth did the Jukes of Hazard get an mot?

Maybe being based in the USA