MOT FAQS

Our MOT centre was set up way back in 1960, so we’re one of the most experienced teams offering MOTs in Bromley.

You can book your MOT using our online booking system or by calling us on 020 8460 6666.

Our vehicle test station number is 12160. You can find us on the official list of active MOT test stations under the name Vehicle Test Centre Bromley Limited.

We only test vehicles in class 4, so cars, caravans, taxis and vans (goods vehicles up to 3,000kg design gross weight).

The MOT is a standard test that all vehicles need to pass in order to use the roads. So the manufacturer makes no difference. Provided it’s a class 4 vehicle, we can do it’s MOT!

We focus on car MOTs, so if you need your bike tested, we’d recommend trying a specialist motorcyle MOT station, such as Motorcycle MOT London in Beckenham.

The MOT tests that your car is in good working order and is safe to use on the road, not posing any risk to you the driver, your passengers or any other road users.

MOT actually stands for Ministry of Transport, the government body that used to oversee the test. These days, the test is operated by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Driving a car without a valid MOT certificate could see you fined £1,000, if caught. If your car fails an MOT with a “dangerous” fault and you drive it, you could be fined £2,500 and receive three points on your driving licence.

You can’t. You can only drive to a test station for a pre-booked MOT or to a garage to have faults identified in an MOT rectified. If you’re caught, expect police to ask for evidence of an appointment.

The MOT is a legal requirement that ensures your car meets the minimum acceptable road safety and environmental standards, as defined by the DVSA. A service is a vehicle inspection based on different criteria designed to keep it running as the manufacturer intended. A service may include inspecting some of the same areas as an MOT, but they will cover more and in greater depth.

Not unless you ask them to! There’s an email or text message reminder service available on GOV.UK. We can send reminders to customers whose cars we’ve tested before. But remember that it’s your responsibility to make sure your car has a valid MOT, so it might be worth making a note for yourself somewhere too.

Only if you’re driving to a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage to have faults identified in an MOT repaired. If your car failed an MOT with dangerous faults, it can’t be driven at all unless recovery is arranged for it to be taken to an alternative garage for repair.

The government sets a maximum price MOT stations can charge for the test. For cars, that’s currently £54.85. If you book online, an MOT at Bromley Vehicle Test Centre is £41.44, or £46.63 if booked over the phone (quoting WEB15).

“The DVSA state that a partial retest should be free if:

– you take your car away to get repairs done and return to the same MOT station the following day or

– if you leave the car at the test centre for repair and it’s retested within 10 working days.

We like to make it a bit simpler at Bromley Vehicle Test Centre. If you book your retest with us within 10 days, we’ll do the test for free, regardless of where you get your repairs done.”

Nope!

If your car has a valid SORN and you keep it off the roads, you don’t need an MOT. If you want to start using it again, you’ll need to get an MOT before you use it to go anywhere else.

MOTs tend to take about 45 minutes. Take the opportunity to grab a coffee and few moments peace and quiet before popping back for your car.

“The classes are:

1 Motorcycle (engine size up to 200cc)

1 Motorcycle with sidecar (engine size up to 200cc)

2 Motorcycle (engine size over 200cc)

2 Motorcycle with sidecar (engine size over 200cc)

3 3-wheeled vehicles (up to 450kg unladen weight)

4 3-wheeled vehicles (over 450kg unladen weight)

4 Cars (up to 8 passenger seats)

4 Motor caravans

4 Quads (max unladen weight 400kg – for goods vehicles 550kg and max net power of 15kw)

4 Dual purpose vehicles

4 Private hire and public service vehicles (up to 8 seats)

4 Ambulances and taxis

4 Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (9 to 12 passenger seats)

4 Goods vehicles (up to 3,000kg design gross weight)

4a Class 4 vehicles (9 to 12 passenger seats) with a seat belt installation check

5 Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (13 to 16 passenger seats)

5 Private passenger vehicles and ambulances (more than 16 passenger seats)

5 Playbuses

5a Class 5 vehicles (13 to 16 passenger seats) with a seatbelt installation check

5a Class 5 vehicles (more than 16 passenger seats) with a seatbelt installation check

7 Goods vehicles (over 3,000kg up to 3,500kg design gross weight)

At Bromley Vehicle Test Centre we only test class 4 vehicles.”

If you’re going on a driving holiday, a UK MOT will allow you to drive your car in Europe, although this could change post-Brexit, so keep an eye out for any changes to the rules.

Yes. You can see what they look like on GOV.UK.

Some classic cars may not need to have an annual MOT. For more information on the criteria for this, check the latest information from the DVSA.

According to GOV.UK, vehicles without an MOT can be reported to the police, if they’re being used on a road. They specifically state that this “includes parked vehicles.”

You can report a vehicle without an MOT to the police on their non-emergency number, 101. You’ll need the vehicle’s registration number, make and model, colour and location.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras record vehicles that are then cross-referenced against various databases. As such, it’s possible that an ANPR camera would be able to report details of a vehicle being used on the road without a valid MOT.

Apparently it is, yes. But not as an abbreviation of Ministry of Transport!

Most cars need to take an MOT test once a year. If you still have your last MOT certificate, you can check that for your expiry date or check the DVSA’s online database by entering your registration number.

A new car needs its first MOT three years after its first registration date. Check your V5C for when that was, or check online.

New cars need their first MOT test after they are first registered, so a 65 plate car should be due for its first MOT between September 2018 and end February 2019.

New cars need their first MOT test after they are first registered, so a 16 plate car should be due for its first MOT between March and end August 2019.

New cars need their first MOT test after they are first registered, so a 66 plate car should be due for its first MOT between September 2019 and end February 2020.

If you look up your car on the DVSA online database, as well as your renewal date, you’ll see details of past MOT tests.

Don’t drive your vehicle! If you don’t have a valid MOT, you’re only permitted to drive to a booked MOT test appointment. So book one for as soon as you can before you need to use the car.

Yes. But you shouldn’t tomorrow, unless you’re only driving to an MOT station for a pre-booked test.

Only if you’re driving to a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage to have faults identified in an MOT repaired.

You can renew your MOT up to one calendar month before it expires. If you do this, you keep your original renewal date, so your new MOT will run for more than a year.

No. You need to have a valid MOT to apply to tax your car.

You’d have to check with your insurer, some don’t specify in their policy wording, but most will have a definition of roadworthiness.

Yes. Just pop along to any MOT test centre with your registration number nd log book (V5C). They’ll be able to print you a replacement. Test centres can charge up to £10 for this.

If your car failed with dangerous faults, you won’t be able to drive it anywhere and should discuss your options with the MOT test centre. If your old MOT certificate hasn’t expired and your car failed the test but without dangerous faults, you can either see if the test centre can repair the faults or take it elsewhere for repair. You’ll need to book a retest for when the repairs are complete.

You can sell a car without an MOT, but remember that you can’t drive it anywhere to sell it, or if someone’s buying it from you, they won’t be able to drive it away, so will need some way to take it away.

“Your car can pass a test with “minor defects” or “”advisories”” – You’re not legally obliged to do anything about these, but they could cause problems in the future, so you’d probably be wise to take action. Please do look at the .gov website for more information https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mot-changes-20-may-2018 “

It depends on the severity of the damage and where on the windscreen it is. A crack of 40mm or more will result in a fail. But if it’s in the driver’s immedaite line of vision, smaller damage could see your car fail. To be on the safe side, it’s prudent to check the state of your windscreen before an MOT an get any damage repaired.

No. Any evidence of a diesel particulate filter being tampered with is now classed as a major faul.

If the airbag light stays on when the car is started indicating a fault in the airbag system, this will be deemed as a fail.

If the anti-lock braking system warning light stays illuminated indicating a fault in the system, your car will fail an MOT.

No. The engine management light is a signal that there’s a fault somewhere in the car. If your engine light is staying on, we’d advise getting the problem diagnosed before presenting your car for an MOT.

Vehicles first used after 1 March 2018 wll have their front fog lights and daytime running lights tested. If any of these aren’t working as intended, a major defect will be recorded and the car will fail the MOT.

Reversing lights will be tested on all vehicles first used after 1 September 2009. If one or more don’t work, a minor defect will be reported, so on it’s own, this won’t fail an MOT.

It is possible to fail an MOT if your number plate isn’t properly displayed. The plate needs to be present, secure and illuminated.

That depends on the age of the car. Car’s first used after 26 January 2010 are required to have two working wing mirrors and an internal mirror (unless the design of the car means that having one would be pointless). Cars first used before that date are required to have two mirrors. One of those must be a driver-side wing mirror. The other should be internal, unless such a mirror wouldn’t give an adequate view, in which case, a second wing mirror would be required. In these instances, only the two mandatory mirrors would be tested.

Yes. In 2017, The AA reported that wipers and washers were the number one category for MOT fails. Wipers should clear water from our windscreen without smearing. There should also be sufficient washer fluid to clean the windscreen.

The legal requirement is for your tyre tread to be at least 1.6mm deep. Anything below that will fail. Something close may be a minor issue (or advisory). You can check this yourself using the 20p method.

You’ll need to get the problem diagnosed and repaired before getting your car retested. The good news is that it’s not classed as a major issue, not a dangerous one. So if you need to want to drive it somewhere for repair you can, provided your previous MOT is still valid. At Bromley Vehicle Test Centre, we’re happy for you to get your car fixed wherever you want before a retest, but it’s always worth asking us for a quote too!

If your brake pads are less than 1.5mm thick, your car will fail the MOT. Replacing brake pads is an easy job for a mechanic though, and relatively inexpensive.

They’re a rubber join between your car’s roll bar and suspension. The replacement part shouldn’t cost much and it’s not a complex repair job.

Absolutely! If your car fails but the previous MOT is still in date, you can drive your car away. Remember though, that you’ll be charged again as free retests can only be done at the garage that performed the original MOT.

If you don’t agree with te result of your car’s MOT, discuss it with the tester, whether it’s us or another authorised MOT station. If you’re still not happy, the DVSA have an appeals process.