What Should Drivers Do After Their Vehicle Fails Its MOT Test

MOT is a test which means that some vehicles will pass the test, while some who are not meet the passing criteria will fail. And that is what stresses out most of the vehicle owners. And if a newcomer fails the test, then they will get stressed out while they figure out what to do, what process to follow. Yes, failing the test can be quite disappointing and stressful, but understanding the process of how to make it road legal and preparing for the retest can be quite helpful and save a lot of time for vehicle owners. Failing the test does not mean that there are no more options, but it just indicates that there are some issues with it that need to be repaired to make it road legal. But what to do after the necessary repairs are made? Well, that is what will be covered in this blog. Here, a detailed breakdown is provided of the process for vehicle owners to follow after failing the MOT, and what the retest process is. 

Reasons for Failing MOT

MOT serves the purpose of making only those vehicles road legal for the United Kingdom that meet the minimum safety and environmental standards set by the UK government. After a vehicle is tested, and it does not meet the requirements, the MOT Corby examiner will provide a failing certificate, which is also known as a VT30. This certificate not only states that the vehicle has failed, but also tells the issues with the vehicle that need to be repaired so that it can pass the test. The faults identified by the examiner are categorized under minor, major, and dangerous. 

Minor defects are those which are not that serious, and drivers can get them repaired so that they don’t turn into any big issues with the vehicle. If a vehicle only has minor defects, then it will not fail the test. Now comes the major ones, which can cause a vehicle’s MOT failure. If these issues are identified by the MOT examiner, then they can fail. And if a driver wants to make their vehicle road legal, then these issues need to be repaired on time. Then come the dangerous defects, which indicate some serious issues with a vehicle. These issues can be regarding the vehicle’s safety-related components. If a vehicle is identified with dangerous defects, then it is completely forbidden from being driven until all the repairs are made and it is road legal.

Vehicle owners are always advised to check the reasons which caused their vehicle to fail the test. They need to review these issues, get the components that require attention, and get them repaired on time.

Getting Required Repairs Done

After understanding the reason for the MOT failure, the next step is to get the required repairs for the vehicle done. They can either choose to get the required repairs done at the garage where they got their vehicles’ MOT done, or they can go to a more trusted garage to get the issues repaired. If the repairs are made on time, then it will help save a lot of time for vehicle owners and will make the vehicle road legal as soon as possible. Some of the most common reasons causing the vehicle to fail MOT are worn tyres, faulty lights, brake problems, emissions faults, or damaged suspension components. If regular Car Service Corby is done, then the chances of the vehicle failing the test the first time reduce. 

Booking for Retest

After getting all the required repairs done, the next step for them is to book an appointment for the MOT retest. There are different cases for the MOT retest as well. If the vehicle is retested at the same test centre where its first test was conducted, and the retest is done during a specific duration, then only those components will be checked that cause the vehicle to fail. Doing so can help save both the time and money of vehicle owners. But if they decide to get the retest done at another test centre, then they have to get a complete test done again. The choice is upto vehicle owners themselves. But one piece of advice for them is that they should keep their repair invoices and documentation, as this can be helpful for the retest.

Conclusion

Failing an MOT is quite common, but how stressed out drivers are going to be depends on the way that vehicle owners are going to deal with the vehicle’s retest. The first thing that they need to make clear is the reason for their vehicle’s failure, then they need to get the required repairs done, book a retest, and get the retest done. So, make sure to follow the right steps and have a stress-free MOT retest.