MOT exemption question

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
As we know, from May cars over 40 years old that have not been substantially altered do not have to undergo an MOT test.
However, owners can voluntarily put their cars through an MOT should they so wish - which seems like a good idea to me.
But the question I can’t seem to get answered is this: If you do put your car in voluntarily and it fails, what position does that put you in?
Are you still allowed to drive the car on the road (and renew your free tax) should you choose not to get the work done immediately?
At present, if your car fails, you can only drive it to and from a garage for a repair/re-MOT.
Does the same apply if you have voluntarily taken it in? In other words, is that fail reported to you only or is the DVLA informed?
 
As we know, from May cars over 40 years old that have not been substantially altered do not have to undergo an MOT test.
However, owners can voluntarily put their cars through an MOT should they so wish - which seems like a good idea to me.
But the question I can’t seem to get answered is this: If you do put your car in voluntarily and it fails, what position does that put you in?
Are you still allowed to drive the car on the road (and renew your free tax) should you choose not to get the work done immediately?
At present, if your car fails, you can only drive it to and from a garage for a repair/re-MOT.
Does the same apply if you have voluntarily taken it in? In other words, is that fail reported to you only or is the DVLA informed?


Common sense says that if you fail an MOT, its been proven your car isn't road worthy, so any accident/incident will be your own fault so you should be held liable.
 

Mr.G

Club Member
Agree with Franky.

Why not say to your friendly mot centre.... I want an mot check over of my car but not an official MOT.

To be fair id rather take the car to a competent mechanic and ask them to check the car over as they would do so with a pre mot check... Modern day MOT test equipment can be quite unnecessarily hard going on old engineering...
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
As we know, from May cars over 40 years old that have not been substantially altered do not have to undergo an MOT test.
However, owners can voluntarily put their cars through an MOT should they so wish - which seems like a good idea to me.
But the question I can’t seem to get answered is this: If you do put your car in voluntarily and it fails, what position does that put you in?
Are you still allowed to drive the car on the road (and renew your free tax) should you choose not to get the work done immediately?
At present, if your car fails, you can only drive it to and from a garage for a repair/re-MOT.
Does the same apply if you have voluntarily taken it in? In other words, is that fail reported to you only or is the DVLA informed?

Rob I've already thought about that on Mrfs DfT Thread.

Another scenario:

You decide to take your car for an MoT test even though you could declare it exempt.

It fails on a few minor things like wiper function, indicator speed, lighting switch unreliable, rear wheel-bearing play. All things you could live with but which would cost money too get them sorted to pass the MoT.

What do you do now? Is your car now declared unfit for the road and you can't use it whereas you could have done if you had taken the exemption route?


.......... Modern day MOT test equipment can be quite unnecessarily hard going on old engineering...

Please explain with examples.
 
Rob I've already thought about that on Mrfs DfT Thread.

Another scenario:

You decide to take your car for an MoT test even though you could declare it exempt.

It fails on a few minor things like wiper function, indicator speed, lighting switch unreliable, rear wheel-bearing play. All things you could live with but which would cost money too get them sorted to pass the MoT.

What do you do now? Is your car now declared unfit for the road and you can't use it whereas you could have done if you had taken the exemption route?




Please explain with examples.

As above Rob, you've proven beyond reason that your car isn't road worthy so anything that happens that they can attribute to your car will end up with you being held liable.
 

Mr.G

Club Member
Rob, sorry I don't have any empirical examples as such but just going on what my MOT tester said to me last year when i took one of my classics for an MOT.. He said that the new equipment for instance have hydraulic shake down plates fitted into the ramps for determining wheel bearing play, he felt this was too violent for older cars and thought that the traditional way of grabbing the wheel with both hands a better option for older vehicles.

Also, I didn't fancy putting my car through the rollers to check the brakes, as it's a semi auto and a 71 vintage, luckily he had a traditional brake testing meter, which you place in the footwell and break whilst driving normally.
 
Rob, sorry I don't have any empirical examples as such but just going on what my MOT tester said to me last year when i took one of my classics for an MOT.. He said that the new equipment for instance have hydraulic shake down plates fitted into the ramps for determining wheel bearing play, he felt this was too violent for older cars and thought that the traditional way of grabbing the wheel with both hands a better option for older vehicles.

Also, I didn't fancy putting my car through the rollers to check the brakes, as it's a semi auto and a 71 vintage, luckily he had a traditional brake testing meter, which you place in the footwell and break whilst driving normally.

How are you getting on with your French lady? bet its a great cruiser.
 

Mr.G

Club Member
How are you getting on with your French lady? bet its a great cruiser.

Very well thanks Franky, best way to describe it is floating on a cloud....very effortless driving, handles surprisingly well, big grin and can't wait for the spring to get her out again. Hope your Z is coming on nicely, I recall some very trick bits going on it :thumbs:
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
As above Rob, you've proven beyond reason that your car isn't road worthy so anything that happens that they can attribute to your car will end up with you being held liable.

So the temptation is going to be to declare exemption. It will also save you £40, 2 hrs of your time and someone else getting their grubby hands on your classic. Yes ideally take it, have it pass or fail get it sorted and peace of mind. Plus it would be easier to sell with an MoT Cert.

However would you put yourself through the driving test again - we should really? What would you do if you failed and were not allowed to drive until you could pass.

Human Nature will mean that there will be more un-roadworthy cars on the road. Progress?
 

Rob Gaskin

Treasurer
Staff member
Site Administrator
Rob, sorry I don't have any empirical examples as such but just going on what my MOT tester said to me last year when i took one of my classics for an MOT.. He said that the new equipment for instance have hydraulic shake down plates fitted into the ramps for determining wheel bearing play, he felt this was too violent for older cars and thought that the traditional way of grabbing the wheel with both hands a better option for older vehicles.

Also, I didn't fancy putting my car through the rollers to check the brakes, as it's a semi auto and a 71 vintage, luckily he had a traditional brake testing meter, which you place in the footwell and break whilst driving normally.

I like those 'shake plates' for finding suspension issues - I wish I had access to one. It's really hard to find 'play' and causes of knocking sometimes. Brake testing - that footwell meter won't show up uneven brake efficiency will it?

I still struggle to find what is not relevant with old cars apart from emissions. Headlight alignment tool is another good bit of kit.
 

STEVE BURNS

Club Member
Dont think members on here will like my thoughts on this
But what a stupid bit of legislation

I know that the test that used to go with the old MOT only told of what the car was like on the day of the test but at least it went through saying it was safe on the day and not a life threatening danger to others on the road
So now a car that could be a death trap could be knowingly driven on the road until it has had major accident
 

JonB

Club Member
I think I will trust my mechanic (and my own thoughts) as to what is safe?!
We do wonderfully well with no road tax, and cheap classic car insurance, so why not be responsible and drive a safe car?
My other car is a '73 Citroën SM, and it is a nightmare when it comes to the MOT- mainly with the self-levelling headlights which move with the steering, and (technically illegal in the UK?) orange reversing lights and a speedo which only reads in kph... for that, I will be grateful for the change, but will always ensure that both he and I are happy with the cars...
 

STEVE BURNS

Club Member
I think I will trust my mechanic (and my own thoughts) as to what is safe?!
We do wonderfully well with no road tax, and cheap classic car insurance, so why not be responsible and drive a safe car?

The majority probably will be responsible but there will be quite a few who will not be and will be driving unroadworthy car and in my view that number will increase the longer this is in place
 

JonB

Club Member
Mmmm... you may well be right!
Maybe I have too much trust in assuming that anyone who appreciates the values of a 40+ year old car is going to be sensible?
I will still do the MOT anyway since it will help with my insurance- no worries with my 'Z, but I will have to take the SM to a dedicated place that knows about them!
 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
Apologies for swaying slightly away from the OP's question but I personally don't think this is the big issue that a lot of people are making it out to be. This change is only following on from what is already in place for cars built for 1960 which are already MOT exempt. How many of those cars do you ever hear about having fatal accidents due to poor maintenance? (I've personally not heard of any).

Those who maintain their cars will continue to do so and those that are more relaxed will likely notice any changes as they drive the car and/or take it in for work where the car usually gets a once over anyway. It's not as if any of these cars are high mileage daily vehicles anyway.

The change is coming regardless so just accept it and move on....
 

Dougs260z

Club Member
The MOT test for 40 year old cars will be a voluntary opt in, not opt out, the test is non binding in theory. Your car will automatically be except from the MOT.
It is still your duty to ensure your car is road worthy, but each person might have a differing opinion of what this is.
The truth will be if you are being pulled by the police they will have suspicion that your car is not road worthy and if so you will be fined and or points.
Also however if you crash and you car is not road worthy then you car insurance might be null and void with all the implications this may have. A worst case would be that you kill a pedestrian because your brakes aren't working correctly and if these have not been inspected or serviced for a while its off to jail you go.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38066824

Any test you carry out on your car would be good for the car, but also good to keep paperwork to ensure if there was a incident you can demonstrate it was inspected and serviced. Perhaps the people who fix their own brakes at home would consider this implication.
 
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RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
Also however if you crash and you car is not road worthy then you car insurance might be null and void
Which raises another interesting point. Will some insurance companies start to refuse to insure historic vehicles which don't have an MOT?
 
Which raises another interesting point. Will some insurance companies start to refuse to insure historic vehicles which don't have an MOT?

I think that's just another dailymail headline. If its not roadworthy, it's on yourself so your insurance will just be void anyway.
 

RIDDLER

Well-Known Forum User
Having looked into this a little more it seems the situation is this:
To be exempt, you have to register your car as a vehicle of historic interest. If you don't do this then your position is the same as it is now, free tax and compulsory MoT.
If you do register it, have a voluntary MoT and it fails then you could still drive it, but you have a legal obligation to ensure your vehicle is roadworthy and could lay yourself open to prosecution for using an unroadworthy vehicle.
Because the MoT will be logged on the online system, the authorities will know and it could come up on a police ANPR as having no MoT.
Best advice is if you want to have your vehicle checked, get a professional to check it to MoT standards but don't have a formal MoT.
However, I think I will continue to get my car MOT'd for safety reasons and because it will show any future buyers you have been sensible and responsible with the car.
 
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