What is tested
The test covers the parts that bear on safety and emissions.
- Lights, indicators and reflectors
- Steering and suspension
- Brakes, including their performance under test
- Tyres and wheels
- Seatbelts and their mountings
- Body, structure and general condition
- Exhaust, fuel system and emissions
- Windscreen, wipers, washers and mirrors
- Horn, registration plates and vehicle identification number
What is not tested
The MOT is not a service and not a condition report. The tester does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox, and does not dismantle anything. A pass says the vehicle met the standard on the day, not that nothing will go wrong tomorrow.
Worth checking first
A large share of failures are for things you can check in the car park: a blown bulb, a wiper blade, an empty washer bottle, or a tyre below the 1.6mm limit. Checking them yourself is free and a failure is not.
Check your own vehicle
See the MOT expiry date and full test history for any UK registration.
Sources
Related guides
- MOT advisories explained
What dangerous, major, minor and advisory actually mean on an MOT certificate, and which ones you have to act on.
- What to do if your car fails its MOT
Whether you can drive it away, how retests work, and what a dangerous defect changes.