Nobody likes failing an MOT. It means another trip to the garage, extra costs, and the hassle of being without your car. The good news is that many of the most common MOT failures are things you can spot and fix yourself before the test.
We have been doing MOTs at AVS Bransgore for over 25 years, and we see the same issues come up again and again. Here is our honest guide to giving yourself the best chance of a first-time pass.
The Most Common MOT Failures
According to the DVSA, the top reasons for MOT failure are lighting and signalling (around 18 percent of failures), suspension (13 percent), brakes (10 percent), tyres (8 percent), and driver's view of the road (7 percent). Most of these are things you can check at home.
Lights — The Number One Fail
Walk around the car and check every single light. Headlights, sidelights, indicators, brake lights, fog lights, number plate lights, and reversing lights. Get someone to press the brake pedal while you check the rear. A single blown bulb is the most common reason for an MOT fail, and most bulbs cost under five pounds.
Tyres — Check the Legal Limit
The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. An easy check is to insert a 20p coin into the tread grooves — if you can see the outer band of the coin, your tread is getting low. Also check for any cuts, bulges, or cracks in the sidewalls. And make sure all four tyres are the correct size for your vehicle.
Windscreen and Wipers
Any chip or crack in the windscreen larger than 10mm in the driver's line of sight (a 290mm-wide zone centred on the steering wheel) will fail. In the rest of the swept area, the limit is 40mm. Also check your wipers clear the screen properly and your washers spray correctly.
Brakes — Listen and Feel
If your brakes squeal, grind, or the car pulls to one side when braking, get them checked before the MOT. Also make sure your handbrake holds the car on a slope — the tester will check this on the brake roller.
Exhaust Emissions
If your engine management light is on, your car will almost certainly fail the emissions test. Diesels are tested more strictly now, and a clogged DPF is a common fail. If your car has been doing lots of short journeys, take it for a good 20-minute motorway run before the test to help clear the DPF.
Number Plates
Your number plates must be clean, undamaged, and correctly formatted. No fancy spacing, no bolt heads covering characters, and the plates must not be faded or discoloured. This is a surprisingly common fail.
Seatbelts
Check that all seatbelts pull out smoothly, retract properly, and the buckles click in and release cleanly. Look for any fraying or damage to the webbing.
What Happens If You Fail?
If your car does fail, do not panic. You have 10 working days to get the issues fixed and return for a free partial retest (at the same testing station). If the failure items are classed as dangerous, you must not drive the car until they are fixed.
Book Your MOT With Us
We offer 8 MOT slots per day, Monday to Sunday, and you can book online right here on our website. We will always give you an honest assessment — we would rather help you pass than profit from a fail. That is how we have built our reputation over 25 years.
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