bringing an MOT forward

[fabes]

Morning

Non Mercedes related question,
The Qashqai Service is due at the end of January, but the MOT isn't until end March

For on going convenience, only having to remember one date, making one trip to the garage (and cost), I am intending to have the MOT brought into line with the annual service?

I can see no real downside to this given we are intending to keep it for a few more years (had it 18 months now)

Am also intending to have the cam belt done (@6 years) even though Nissan advise its 7 years - I have never had a belt engine before and I am nervous, esp as I have put a Bluefin on it (which is great btw)

Your thoughts appreciated

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Yes, yes and yes.

Always good (in my mind) to have a service and MOT at the same time and you can never change a cam belt too early only too late.

 

[Charles Morgan]

Sounds perfectly sensible and no problem to do - did the same with a car when I was selling it, just moved the MOT forward three months.

 

[markjay]

No problem in doing this, your annual MOT test date will simply change going forward, I have done that in the past.

(I.e., as long as you test the car at least one calendar month before the original test date - or else the annual test date won't change....)

 

[DavidL]

The only slight caveat appears to be that if your cars fails its MOT then any remaining time on your old MOT becomes void and your car is not roadworthy until it passes.
If you move it forward then you will lose that period.
Not a major issue and one I wasn't aware of until recently.

 

[219]

No , the old MOT remains valid until its date of expiry , BUT the car will have failed for a reason and , unless something stupid like a number plate lamp or emissions , really shouldn't be used until it is fixed .

 

[flango]

No , the old MOT remains valid until its date of expiry , BUT the car will have failed for a reason and , unless something stupid like a number plate lamp or emissions , really shouldn't be used until it is fixed .

The minute a car is tested and failed the previous MOT becomes invalid. When you input the details into the vosa computer it immediately updates that vehicles status. An mot failure means a car is not roadworthy at that point in time. The previous test would obviously have been done prior to the failure test so the most recent test status is what is applied to the car.

 

[roger574]

One advantage of separating service and MoT is that the vehicle is getting two inspections a year rather than one, so any issues with roadworthiness should be diagnosed sooner than if the vehicle only had one combined inspection a year.

If the issue is just remembering when your vehicle's next MoT or service is due, you could use something like the AA's Automyze offering? This lets you create a profile for your vehicle(s) and Automyze can be configured to send email reminders of these types of event.

(Disclaimer: I have no connection to the AA and other similar services are probably available...)

In my experience, I have found that most service departments and MoT stations I've used in the past were more than happy to ring me to remind me that my vehicle's next service or MoT was due, so you can always ask if they will do this for you too?

 

[Rory]

The minute a car is tested and failed the previous MOT becomes invalid.

This is NOT correct.

The Goverment caused consternation recently by putting that on its website, but they corrected it again earlier this month.

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test

"Driving a vehicle that’s failed
You can take your vehicle away if your MOT certificate is still valid.
.....
In both cases, your vehicle still needs to meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times or you can be fined."

 

[219]

This has been covered many times before - it used to be on the VOSA website although I can't find it now , but from another 'legal' website

Is the old MOT certificate still valid if the car fails a Test whilst still 'MOT'd'?


The relevant bit :

"Returning to the question asked by your customer, Will the existing MOT be withdrawn if the car fails the MOT Test?

An MOT certificate is valid until the date of expiry, and a new test will not invalidate the current MOT certificate. If your customer chooses to have the vehicle retested and it fails the existing certificate will still be valid.

However, following the computerisation of the MOT test a "Fail" result will be recorded on the online DVLA database together with the "Pass" test result, and therefore a search on the DVLA data base will show both a pass and a fail result.

The ANPR system operated by the police is likely to draw the Police Officer’s attention to the MOT history and if checked the officer would see a "Fail". The Police Officer is almost certain to pull the vehicle over and check whether any repairs have been undertaken. If the repairs have not been completed the car is therefore not roadworthy and your customer is likely to be prosecuted."

also , from a government website , not such a clear statement ,

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test

"Driving a vehicle that’s failed

You can take your vehicle away if your MOT certificate is still valid."

 

[markjay]

This is semantics.... if the official position of VOSA is that the MOT is still 'valid' but the car must be deemed 'roadworthy' in order to be driven on public roads following the MOT failure... then you will really need to work hard to find an MOT failure item which does not render your car un-roadworthy.

Perhaps some administrative issue , or emissions issue, but definitely not any safety-related items.

I suppose the legal implications are that when your car does not have a valid MOT then you are automatically committing an office even if there is nothing actually wrong with the car, while if your car failed an MOT test while the old one is still valid then the (different) offence if driving an un-roadworthy vehicle will need to be proven...

 

[219]

This is semantics.... if the official position of VOSA is that the MOT is still 'valid' but the car must be deemed 'roadworthy' in order to be driven on public roads following the MOT failure... then you will really need to work hard to find an MOT failure item which does not render your car un-roadworthy.

Perhaps some administrative issue , or emissions issue, but definitely not any safety-related items.

I suppose the legal implications are that when your car does not have a valid MOT then you are automatically committing an office even if there is nothing actually wrong with the car, while if your car failed an MOT test while the old one is still valid then the (different) offence if driving an un-roadworthy vehicle will need to be proven...

I quite agree , but my post was in response to post 5 which incorrectly stated that a fail automatically voids any remaining time on an existing MOT .

Suppose a car fails on something before the expiry of the previous MOT , then it would quite correctly be unroadworthy until the defect is repaired ; but with that defect repaired it would then be quite legal to drive around on the older , unexpired MOT until it is convenient to get the vehicle retested , or up to the original expiry date .

Oh , and following a fail , it is generally tolerated to take a vehicle away from a test centre to a place of repair ( home perhaps ) notwithstanding that the fail could be something the driver might be prosecuted for ; unless the fail point is marked 'dangerous' in which case the tester can refuse to allow the vehicle to be driven away .

 

[219]

As an example , a car 'could' fail on non compliant number plates , but wouldn't be unroadworthy , although it would be unlawful .

I also remember my partner getting a fail on her Hyundai Coupe because her two front indicators weren't the same shade of Amber ( the colouring had partly burnt off one bulb ) although both were clearly working - a bit pedantic on the part of the tester - especially when I went into the adjoining petrol station and bought a bulb , put it in and resubmitted the car which then passed .

 

[Deleted member 65149]

As an example , a car 'could' fail on non compliant number plates , but wouldn't be unroadworthy , although it would be unlawful . I also remember my partner getting a fail on her Hyundai Coupe because her two front indicators weren't the same shade of Amber ( the colouring had partly burnt off one bulb ) although both were clearly working - a bit pedantic on the part of the tester - especially when I went into the adjoining petrol station and bought a bulb , put it in and resubmitted the car which then passed .

I've also been caught out by the over zealous testers regarding "wrong shade of ...". The worst IMO was the one who failed my old Austin Somerset back in the 60's. I disliked the foot operated dip switch so had changed it to a steering column mounted one, just like they all are now. He failed the car because the manufacturer's original equipment wasn't working. I moved the wiring back to the foot switch (an easy 5 minute job) whilst outside the garage then took it straight back in for a pass. Then he watched me change back to the column switch and said nothing.

 

[markjay]

...Then he watched me change back to the column switch and said nothing.

What could he say? It's your car... once you've left the premises, you can set it alight if you like..

 

[DavidL]

Well that opened a can of worms didn't it.
A little more digging seems to suggest that driving a car having failed an MOT (but having time left on the old one) is going to leave you open to very awkward discussions and in all probability prosecution unless work has been done and you have proof and haven't taken it back for its retest.
I does however seem that there is no automatic voiding of the old MOT status.
Moral seems to be that once you've fixed it get it MOTed asap.

 

[flango]

This is NOT correct.

The Goverment caused consternation recently by putting that on its website, but they corrected it again earlier this month.

https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/after-the-test

"Driving a vehicle that’s failed
You can take your vehicle away if your MOT certificate is still valid.
.....
In both cases, your vehicle still needs to meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times or you can be fined."

Thanks didnt realise they had withdrawn it but here's a curved ball for you.

If a car fails an mot whilst it still has an mot what shows on the DVLA database? If the police query the database it gives the last event would this be a failed MOT ?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Yet again we see established forum members passing poor information.

I used to ask questions here, hardly ever now.

Shame.

 

[markjay]

Thanks didnt realise they had withdrawn it but here's a curved ball for you.

If a car fails an mot whilst it still has an mot what shows on the DVLA database? If the police query the database it gives the last event would this be a failed MOT ?

The police may rely on DVLA computer records for initial assessment but you are given the opportunity to explain/demonstrate otherwise.

Said that, I do agree with the general view that driving a car after it failed an MOT does open the door to various complications that most is us could probably do without....

 

[flango]

This has started a big debate here as we having a bit of a gathering and my BIL who is an mot tester and my traffic cop neighbour are shall we say exchanging opinions.