Surprisingly, whether it’s from damage sustained over three years of hard driving, or for silly and easily avoided reasons, many cars fail their initial MOT. Proposed plans to increase the time before the first MOT test from three years to four years will invariably lead to an increased number of vehicles failing, so we’ve compiled this rundown of the top reasons cars aren’t passing their initial MOT test, helping you to know what to look out for.
In 2013, TootCompare looked at the MOT records of the top 20 family cars to compare the pass rate of different models and the reasons why they failed. The average percentage of all three-year-old cars passing their first MOT test is 81.69%. With almost 20% of the new cars tested failing their MOTs, the following reasons were commonly appearing:
Dirty Cars
It might sound trivial, but if your car is dirty or full of rubbish, your garage can refuse to test it. It can be difficult to inspect a car properly when attempting to navigate around piles of rubbish or obstructions, so save yourself excessive costs by clearing the car out before you take it to the garage.
Worn out Tyres
The survey found that thin tread on tyres was, on average, the second most common reason for a car failing its MOT. Shockingly, of all the Audi A3s that failed their MOTs, 43% failed on worn out tyres and 32% of the failed Volkswagen Passats was due to worn down treads. To check whether your tyres have deep enough treads, insert a 20p into the tyre grip; if the outer rim of the coin is hidden from view, your treads are deep enough. If you’re concerned your tyre treads aren’t sufficient, have your car inspected by a professional – Oaks Services are specialists in the MOT and servicing of Audis and Volkswagens and will be happy to pre-check your car before you book it in for its MOT.
Obscured Driver’s View
Having an obstructed view from the driver’s position is another common failing. Reasons this can occur include issues such as dangling ornaments or air fresheners on the rearview mirror, phone mounts on the windscreen or piled belongings in the back window. This failing was found to be most common amongst Mini Hatchbacks, at a whopping 37.5%
Headlights Incorrectly Aimed
Problems with lighting and signalling were the top offender for failed MOTs, and something as simple as incorrectly aimed headlights can be the difference between passing and failing.
Faulty Windscreen Wipers
Faulty windscreen wipers are another common failing. They can become damaged by grit and dirt and end up smearing the windscreen and obstructing the view – replacing your windscreen wipers is an easy and cheap repair that can save you having to retake your MOT.
Small issues such as failing to top up your screenwash can cause you to fail your MOT, so make sure you’re accounting for all of the simple faults that can easily be remedied to save yourself a hefty amount of money.
If you have an MOT test coming up, look no further than Oaks Services for a thorough and comprehensive inspection of your vehicle’s safety. Our expert team work to the highest standard to ensure that no car leaves our premises without being in top condition. Operating throughout the South-East from our testing centre in Chertsey, we can even carry out a pre-MOT inspection so you can guarantee to pass your MOT first time. To book yours, or to inquire about any of our other services, contact us here.
