DIY MOT Checklist

Every year the dreaded MOT rolls around, we’re often left wondering if our car will make it through and if not – how expensive it’ll be to get it back on the road again.

MOT fail rates have gone down slightly since the new system of faults was brought in last year, but around a third of cars will still fail their MOT on the first test. A lot of the time, it’s for problems that are easily fixed if you had quickly checked it over before you book an MOT.

Lights are the number one reason for cars failing their MOT in 2019 – which is nonsense when it’s as easy as checking your lightbulbs aren’t broken. This isn’t the only simple check you can do before your MOT – you can use an MOT checklist to ensure your test goes as smoothly as possible.

Inside your car:

• Mirrors: Your rear view mirror and side mirrors need to be in decent condition with no cracks and not held on with duct tape. Ideally you’ll have both side mirrors intact, but it is possible to pass with just one.
• Horn: Your horn must be working and loud enough for pedestrians and other drivers to hear.
• Seatbelts: All seatbelts in the car need to be fully functional, able to clip in and release and not show signs of fraying or other damage.
• Doors: All doors need to be able to open and close securely from the inside, you’ll also have to check this again from the outside of the car.
• Handbrake: This needs to be able to hold the weight of your car securely – take it to a hill and test it.
• Dashboard: Your speedometer and dashboard warning lights are part of the test, you can see your warning lights work as they will illuminate briefly when you first turn your car on.
• Steering: Make sure your power steering is working and your steering wheel only locks when it’s supposed to. 

Outside your car:

• Lights: As mentioned above, ensure all lights are working – including headlights, sidelights, rear lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse lights and brake lights. It’s a lot cheaper for you to replace the bulbs than a mechanic!
• Brakes: If your brakes are unresponsive, making high pitched screeching noises in dry weather or making a grinding noise – it’s a very good indication that they need some attention.
• Tyres: All tyres need to be correctly and evenly inflated, with no lumps or bulges. The tread needs to be a minimum of 1.6mm – do the 20p test to check this by simply putting a 20p coin into the tread grooves of your tyres. If you can’t see the outer band on the coin, then your tyres have enough tread to pass. 
• Windscreen: Any crack or chip larger than 40mm, or 10mm within the driver’s position, will be an MOT fail. Your wipers and washer jets also both need to work properly.
• Fluids: Top everything up – oil, screen wash and brake fluid. You also need to have enough fuel in the tank so the centre can run their tests.
• Suspension: You can check your suspension by bounce testing your car. Apply your weight to the bonnet and rear of your car and bounce it slightly. Once you’ve let go, the car should stop bouncing very quickly if the shock absorbers are doing their job properly.
• Exhaust: Start your car and listen out for any unusual noises or rattles from your exhaust, as well as any abnormally thick or coloured smoke. If you have a diesel car, ensure your DPF light isn’t on.
• Leaks: Look underneath where you’ve parked your car overnight to check if there’s any oil or other fluid stains on the ground. 
• Registration: Your number plate on front and rear needs to be visible and legible, a quick wipe over usually does the trick.
• VIN: Your vehicle identification number is needed to log the MOT – you’ll usually find it on the outside on driver’s side windscreen or in between the driver’s door and car body. 
• Body: We’re not all mechanics so this is a little harder to check. MOT testers don’t care about scuffs or dings, but they do care about any excessive corrosion and sharp edges.

Unless you’re a mechanic yourself, you can’t check for everything – but by covering the basics, you’ve hopefully prepared your car as best you can for its MOT. Fixing car problems before an MOT often works out more cost effective than leaving problems to fester until last minute. If your car ends up costing more than it’s worth to fix, there’s some great pointers for buying a new car to suit you and your family. 

This is a collaborative post.