What Are the Most Common MOT Failures?
Your car’s annual MOT is one of the most important times of the year for your vehicle.
A test to ensure its roadworthiness and safety, every car must have an MOT every year if it is more than three years old (unless it was made before 1960).
An MOT will check every aspect of your car to ensure it is safe to drive and it will reveal any underlying problems that could become detrimental in the future.
Here at Ken’s Autos, we regularly conduct MOTs for our customers in Nottingham, Derby and Mansfield.
With this in mind, we understand exactly what is required to pass an MOT and have put together an MOT failure list outlining the top five most common failures.
Lighting and signalling
According to data gathered by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Authority, the body that oversees MOTs, the biggest reason a car will fail an MOT is due to problems with the vehicle’s lighting or signalling.
In fact, almost a fifth of all MOT failures in the UK are due to this issue and sometimes it will be as simple as a blown headlight bulb that causes the failure.
Before attending your MOT, check all of your vehicle’s lights are working, indicators are flashing correctly and there are no cracks on the headlights.
Suspension
Your car’s suspension is one of its most important elements, ensuring it is smooth to drive and can safely absorb bumps from the road.
With recent research suggesting there are more than a million potholes in the UK, checking that your suspension is in good working order is essential.
Suspension problems are second on the MOT failure list, and they can be hard to spot for drivers.
If you notice any unusual noises or the car feels different to drive, the suspension could be a problem and you may need to address it before an MOT check.
Brakes
It’s no surprise that brakes feature highly on the MOT failure list, and one in ten cars fail their test due to a brake problem.
This could be issues with the brake pads, the discs and the handbrake.
If you notice your car is pulling to one side when you brake, then it’ll likely be due to a brake problem.
Tyres
Tyres should be regularly tested for safety purposes, not just when an MOT check is coming up.
Despite this, they are still one of the main reasons for an MOT failure.
The law states that all tyres need to have a depth of 1.6mm and anything less than this will fail an MOT.
You can test this yourself by using a 20p coin and inserting it into the tread. If you see the coin’s outer band then the depth is too low and the tyre will need to be changed.
If you don’t change it, not only is the car dangerous to drive but you could face a £2,500 fine from the police if caught.
Issues impacting the driver’s vision
Somewhat alarmingly, almost 10% of cars fail an MOT because the driver cannot clearly see the road ahead.
This is usually due to a windscreen MOT failure, such as windscreen cracks or chips in the driver’s eyeline.
For a better understanding of MOT failure rules or to make sure your vehicle is in the best condition prior to its MOT, Ken’s Autos is here to help. For more than 45 years we’ve helped ensure our customers’ vehicles are always safe to drive and we can even conduct MOT tests for you. For more information, contact our expert team today.