MOT testing in Cheetham Hill.

What's checked in an MOT

The MOT checks that your car meets the legal minimum standards for road safety and the environment. Our testers work to the DVSA's inspection manual, which covers:

• Lights, indicators & horn
• Brakes, including the ABS
• Steering & suspension
• Tyres & wheels
• Windscreen, wipers & mirrors
• Seats & seatbelts
• Body, structure & doors
• Exhaust, fuel system & emissions
• Number plates & VIN
• Battery & electrical wiring

It doesn't cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox. To have those looked at too, book an MOT and full service in the same visit.

Cars and vans

We test class 4 and class 7 vehicles. Class 4 covers cars and smaller vans up to 3,000kg gross weight; class 7 covers bigger vans over 3,000kg and up to 3,500kg, which not every MOT centre can test.

A car MOT is £40 and a van MOT is £50, both below the government's maximum fees of £54.85 for a car and £58.60 for a class 7 van.

When is my MOT due?

Most cars need their first MOT by the third anniversary of their registration, then one every year. You can check when yours runs out, and its full MOT history, free on GOV.UK.

You can have it tested up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. So if your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest you can test and keep that date is 16 April.

Understanding your result

Anything the tester finds is recorded against your car in one of four categories:

Dangerous

A direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. It's a fail, and the car shouldn't be driven until it's repaired.

Major

Could affect the car's safety, put other road users at risk or harm the environment. It's a fail, and needs repairing straight away.

Minor

No significant effect on safety or the environment. The car passes, but get it fixed soon.

Advisory

Something that could become more serious. The car passes; keep an eye on it.

If your car fails

We'll show you what failed and why, then quote for the repairs. Nothing is done until you've agreed the price.

Leave the car with us to be repaired and, as long as it's retested within 10 working days, the partial retest is free. Some smaller faults, such as bulbs, wipers, mirrors, tyres and number plates, can be fixed elsewhere: bring the car back by the end of the next working day and the partial retest costs nothing.

If your old MOT has already run out, the car can only be driven to have the faults repaired or to a pre-booked MOT, and never with a dangerous fault.

Before you come in

A few quick checks at home can save a fail: make sure every bulb works, the wipers clear the screen, the screenwash is topped up, the tyres have at least 1.6mm of tread, and the number plates are clean and readable.

Check the dashboard too. A lit engine management, ABS or airbag warning light is a major fault, which means a fail. If one has come on, book diagnostics first and we'll find out why.