The Most Common MOT Failures and How to Avoid Them

Lights and indicators

Lighting faults are one of the most common reasons cars fail, and most are just a blown bulb. Before your test, walk round the car with the lights on and check headlights on dipped and main beam, sidelights, indicators, hazards, brake lights and the number plate light.

Use a garage door or window to see your brake lights, or ask someone to press the pedal while you look.

Tyres

Tyres fail for tread below 1.6mm, cuts, bulges and damage to the sidewall. Check the tread with a 20p coin and look along both sides of each tyre for lumps or splits.

Our guide to legal tyre tread depth explains how to check properly.

Brakes and suspension

Worn pads and discs, uneven braking and a weak handbrake all cause failures. Warning signs are grinding or squealing, the car pulling when you brake, or a handbrake that needs pulling right up.

Suspension problems often show up as knocks over speed bumps, and broken coil springs are a very common find. Local roads full of speed humps and potholes are hard on springs and bushes.

Driver's view of the road

A chip or crack in the area directly in front of the driver can fail the test if it is bigger than 10mm, and damage elsewhere in the wiper area fails at 40mm. Split wiper blades and an empty washer bottle are also failures.

Top up the screen wash and replace smeary wiper blades before the test. It is one of the cheapest failures to avoid.

Warning lights and emissions

Dashboard warning lights for the engine, ABS, airbags or power steering can all mean a fail. On diesels, a smoky exhaust or a removed or tampered diesel particulate filter will fail too.

If a warning light is on, get it diagnosed before the test rather than hoping it passes.

Book your MOT in Smethwick

ER Automotive is a DVSA-approved MOT centre on Cranford Street, Smethwick. If anything fails, we explain why, quote before doing any work and can retest once it is fixed. Call 0121 461 6097 or book online.