MOT Testing Magazine

12/03/2024

Rumours of a huge MOT price increase have been circulating on the internet recently – so what's the story, and how reasonable is the current price?

25/11/2023

Criminal Record checks coming up for MOT personnel

DVSA have extended a requirement for MOT Staff to have their background checked for any unspent criminal convictions – a so called DBS check . Yet that may still leave thousands of Testers and Authorised Examiners who have never had their backgrounds checked for unspent criminal convictions.

27/01/2023

Further to the proposed MOT Test timing review, our editor Jim Punter makes a shocking discovery…

Deadly defects…! The Government has recently issued a consultative document suggesting a change for the first MOT Test to be at four years old and two-yearly thereafter. Yet data we have discovered shows that since the Government last made the same proposal in 2010/11 (which was rejected on road s...

25/01/2023

Yet another attack on a long standing institution that actually works – the MOT Test.
It's over 12 years since the MOT Test fee was even adjusted for inflation, yet the government is trying to tinker with a successful road safety process, which will not only result in DECREASED safety and MORE expense for the motorist, but further reduce the viability of MOT Testing Stations…

There have been articles in the media recently about changes to the MOT Test; a change from the first Test being due, currently set to be carried out after a vehicle is three years old and then subsequently every year, being changed to after a vehicle is four years and possibly five years old, and.....

03/11/2022

Did you know you can register with DVSa to get MOT reminders by text or email?
Here's a brief review; let us know if it's a 'pass' or 'fail'.

DVSA gave themselves a pat on the back for having achieved what they suggest is a landmark result of four million motorists having signed up for the Government's MOT reminder service

25/05/2022

https://www.motester.co.uk/prosol-uk-launches-fire-cloak/

23/05/2022

DVSA have announced that they will be cracking down on MOT Fraud - especially where MOT Test passes are issued for vehicles which are not recorded as being taken to the MOT Test Station which issues the pass.

In a recent blog, the DVSA issued a not-so-veiled warning to Testing Stations that it is ramping up its disciplinary activity to catch out errant Testers engaging in MOT fraud. They report that:

17/05/2022

There are millions of cars on UK roads with un-remedied manufacturer defects - outstanding 'Vehicle Recalls', some of which may be safety-related. Surprisingly, there are no figures on how much of a factor these defects may be in road accidents.
Where vehicles have changed hands, it is difficult for dealers to track down new owners to let them know that their vehicle is subject to a recall, and have the defect remedied at no cost.
Surely it would make sense for a check to be made during the vehicle's MOT Test?

t is surprising how few motorists don't know what a vehicle recall is. Mainly attributable to road safety issues, it is when a vehicle has an undiscovered defect during manufacture

16/03/2022

Existing smoke testing equipment isn't up to MOT Testing the latest diesels - the small particle size emitted by modern diesel engines has a very small smoke signature which can't be detected even when the cat has been tampered with. These particles find their way into the atmosphere and into the lungs of anyone who breathes it. Is it time for the MOT to catch up with emissions?

Should all MOT Testing Stations buy new Diesel Emission Test equipment (yet retaining their current diesel smoke meters) in the interests of public health?

13/10/2021

Autotech Group, Glen Callum Associates and KPI People, three of the UK’s top automotive recruitment specialists, have formed The Automotive Recruitment Alliance

06/08/2021

DVSA puts prices up for driving tests and the HGV MOTs they carry out, and increase the cost of doing MOTs to MOT Testing Stations, but NO increase in the amount Testing Stations can charge the public for carrying out the MOT Test…

This morning DVSA announced a consultation to increase fees by 1.5% across all their services, including the MOT slot fee

30/07/2021

MOT coming up? Buying a second hand car? Check out the MOT performance for any car which had an MOT Test in 2020 - search by Make/Model/Engine size and type, and Mileage bracket.
View an ordered list of failure items, all conveniently linked to full details of the MOT Test for any particular item.

If your car's MOT is due, or if you're considering buying a second hand car, you may be wondering about that car's typical MOT performance.

17/06/2021

With more electric vehicles now being presented for their first MOT, you may be wondering how the inspection differs from the normal – you might be surprised…

With the obvious exception of ‘emissions’, pretty much everything else on an electric vehicle is subject to the same MOT safety checks as a regular internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle.

21/04/2021

Should a full examination of the DPF filter be added to the MOT? Not a good idea, says Jim Punter…

A Parliamentary lobbying group claims that up to 10 percent of diesel cars could have faulty or damaged diesel particulate filters (DPFs)

17/03/2021

Is DVSA asking 'irrelevant' questions' in this year's online assessment?

We were recently contacted by an MOT Tester who asked us why DVSA are asking detailed questions about disciplinary point scoring

05/03/2021

DVSA issue warning about road safety to road users prior to return to school on Monday…

DVSA's Chris Price says to motorists who may be using their vehicles for the first time for some time for Monday's school run:

22/02/2021

Road closure causes problems for VTS…

an MOT Testing Station, Discount Tyres, located in Barton in Gloucestershire, will be unable to gain access to the roads for six days

08/02/2021

Where's the 'Pause' button…?

We've had a call from a Tester who said the pause button on the online assessment exam has been removed – which means that if you need to consult the manual you can’t pause the test, where beforehand you could.