MOTs on cars that will fail next one...

[JimK]

If I took a car belonging to someone else for an MOT test to decide how bad it is and so whether I'd want to bother, would the MOT failure overrule the few days left on the old MOT?

Jim K

[newshound]

Posted to the wrong group really.

My understanding is that it all depends on what they find. If they rule the car "too dangerous to drive" (which I expect is defined in their code) they can issue you with a notice. I'm not sure if they can physically restrain the vehicle.

Never personally heard of it happening though.

[Jethro_uk]

No.

However, if you/your friend is subsequently stopped, and the vehicle is found to have a defect that was noted on the failure slip, you could be in more trouble, than if it wasn't.

[Chris Whelan]

Well, it seems on-topic for u.r.c.m at least ;-)

My understanding is that MOT stations have not had the right to issue a prohibition ('red ticket') for a number of years. Of course, if the vehicle was very dangerous, they could call the police to stop you before you got home.

The OP's friend would be able to drive until the old MOT expired without fear of prosecution for the offence of using a motor vehicle without a valid certificate, but would still be liable for prosecution for using an unroadworthy vehicle if the condition was such.

Chris

[fred]

Sort of, anything that amounts to, "using a vehicle in an unsafe condition" will see you in bother so a nick in a viper blade or even a lamp out will not but a bald tyre or faulty brakes will.

[mike]

I don't thinl the op was asking that. Clearly if someone drives a vehicle which is unroadworthy it is illegal - and nothing technically to do with an mot. He could drive out of an mot pass and immedialtely fail something if the police stopped him. (Ok he'd have a good case in court).

I thought whatever mot was done last, applied. That way at least everyone knows where they stand. Waving mot an mot pass cert against an mot fail one for the same vehicle is asking to problems.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Not correct.

I had three done. First dealer induced massive fail, 'we want £2000' second pass, 'nothing wrong' third by VOSA inspector 'well one of the tyres was arguably too ripped up to pass, so fail on that only but the existing valid certificate stands'

Essentially fauilures are not recorded centrally - any pass valid for the day is - valid for the day!

[Brian Gaff]

Yes. I think is the real answer, though who is going to tell? Brian

[newshound]

Hence my cross-posting (I should have said that)

Thanks, I didn't realise things had changed

[Michael Chare]

One of those cameras that checks the road tax etc. The OP is right to be concerned.

[Adrian]

Nope. It'll still have an MOT until the expiry of the old one.

'course, if it's unroadworthy, it's illegal to drive whether it's been taken for a ticket or not. You just can't say you didn't know...

Let's say it fails on something easy to fix. You take it home, change the tyre/bulb/adjust the handbrake, whatever. It'd still be legal to drive.

[Adrian]

Yes, they are, and have been since the introduction of computerised MOTs a decade or so ago.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You couldn't be prosecuted for no MOT. But could for driving an unroadworthy vehicle, if it is. Which can happen with or without an MOT anyway.

[Chad]

Some MOT fails do not make the car unroadworthy, except in a legal sense. For example, an incorrect number plate font won't place you in immediate danger when driving. Likewise, a blown bulb in daylight or a rear seatbelt when only the driver is in the car.

[fred]

That question was answered by the previous poster with, 'No', which I did not disagree with.

I elaborated on the circumstances under which driving a vehicle with certain categories of fail could result in serious bother for the driver.

[bert]

In message , fred writes

And don't forget all MOTs are electronically logged so I would imagine if plod checked they may well get your failed MOT as the latest test and obviously as it had failed the vehicle is intrinsically unsafe. The owner of the car might not be too chuffed about that. I would suggest maybe the OP ask the garage for a pre-MOT inspection and report.

[bert]

If you fail you fail and you must have it re-certified as passed to have a valid MOT and it is illegal to drive the vehicle without one even though the vehicle may be perfectly roadworthy.

[bert]

Plod and VOSA are only interested in the legal sense.

IIRC you would get an advisory or whatever it's called and you would have to take proof that you had fixed the problem to a police station within a prescribed number of days.

[Tim Watts]

That's not totally correct.