3 Common MoT Failures

By law, you need to MoT your car once per year in order to ensure it is road safe for both yourself and other motorists. In 2017, around 35% of cars failed their MoT, so it’s not uncommon for cars to fail them.

That being said, there are quite a few common MoT failures that can be mitigated against so you don’t end up with a massive, unexpected bill if your car ends up failing its MoT. If noticed early, many of these can be sorted before your MoT, saving you money and reducing that fear of the unknown that many of us fear on MoT day. Furthermore, failing an MoT can also look bad when trying to sell your car, so having as many passes as you can will make it easier for you to sell.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common MoT failures to help you protect yourself against unexpected bills.

Tyres

Tyres are one of the most important parts of the car in keeping you safe. There are two primary factors to consider with your tyres; the tread and the pressure. If your tyre tread depth is too shallow, you won’t have adequate friction for the road. This could result in an accident, especially in slippery or cold weather conditions.

To check if your tread depth is adequate, simply take a 20p coin and slot it into the ridge in your tyre, measuring the full perimeter of the tyre. If the outer edge of the coin sticks out, there’s a good chance your tyres are under the legal limit and need replacing.

Although tyre pressure isn’t checked as part of the MoT, it’s still very important to ensure that your pressure is accurate. To do this, simply visit a pressure machine and check that your pressure matches up with the recommended pressure set by your car manufacturer.

Brakes

Brakes are another incredibly common cause of MoT failure. If your brakes feel spongy, or your car drifts when the brakes are applied, you may need to get them checked. Most brakes will need to be replaced every 50,000 miles, so if you know that you’ve done more miles than that since last having your brakes looked at, consider taking your car in ahead of the MoT.

Lights

Whether it’s your headlights, fog lights, or brake lights, busted car lights will fail your MoT and can be easily fixed for cheap, ahead of time. You don’t need a car mechanic to tell you if a light is out, simply turn on your engine and inspect each light. This is easier to do if you have someone else to help you.

Griffin Autos

If you’re due a MoT, give us a call and we’ll be happy to book your car in to be looked at by one of our expert mechanics. While we specialise in Vauxhalls, we will happily look at any car. If your car isn’t due an MoT yet, but you know of an issue that you would like to sort before your MoT, please get in touch with us and we’ll be able to help you, whatever the issue may be!

To contact us, please call the garage on 01525402896, or fill in a quick and easy online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you very soon!