Upheaval as government consults on extending first MOT to four years

George Osborne's announcement comes under fire with widespread safety concerns

Upheaval as government consults on extending first MOT to four years
Criticism follows the 'potentially dangerous' budget announcement, which could see the first MOT be extended to four years.

Speaking in The House of Commons last week, Chancellor George Osborne announced a consultation on extending the deadline for new cars and motorbikes to have their first MOT test from three years to four years, saving motorists over “£100m a year.”

In the ‘Budget for working people’, Osborne said the changes would supplement VED reforms.

With around 20 per cent of cars already failing their first test, questions are being asked about the road safety implications.

Defective vehicles

IAAF chief executive, Wendy Williamson said: “Moving to an extended testing period would potentially cause more accidents and fatalities due to defective vehicles on UK roads.”

Whilst it can be argued that technology is continually improving vehicle safety, components that require regular maintenance and replacement will always remain.

Warranty Direct’s managing director, David Gerrans warns that a move away from the traditional three-year first test date will mean that essential maintenance work will be postponed.

Gerrans said: “Whilst adding another year before an MOT is due is a nod to manufacturer build quality, it could be viewed as detrimental to road safety, as the average driver will need to replace tyres and brakes before the four year mark.

“Extending the deadline for the first MOT of new cars from three to four years, will only encourage motorists to postpone necessary maintenance work for anything up to an extra year, potentially putting the driver and other motorists at risk.”

MOT changes

MOT test stations have been faced with a number of changes in recent years, with an ever-expanding check list of testable items and a continued battle against unfairly discounted fees.

Dipstix Managing Director, David Cederholm said: “There’s a need for some clarification on this subject. Nothing has suddenly made cars safer.

“If anything, there’s more of an argument for tightening the MOT rather than relaxing regulations.”

One analysis of cars taking their first MOT between 2010 and 2011 found that 353,000 failed the test.

Approved Garages network manager Phil Seymour said: “If some cars are not fit for the road after three years, it stands to reason that even more will be on the roads in a potentially dangerous condition after four.”

Tim Benson, director at Oldfields Garage in Leominster, told GW: “From a business point of view it will certainly impact on the volume of MOTs but the biggest concern is the safety aspect.

“If people do service their vehicles and keep on top of the maintenance as they should, the vehicle should remain roadworthy but it they don’t, it’s going to cause problems.”

TyreSafe chairman, Stuart Jackson notes that there is already evidence that motorists do not check or maintain serviceable parts and “only replace them when required to do so in order to pass the MOT.”

Ivan Phillips, director of Ivan Phillips Automotive, commented: “It’s absolutely appalling. Who knows what can happen in three years, let alone four.”

Burden on motorists

The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) argues that drivers today are far less likely to be aware of vehicle faults, particularly as the majority of new cars have a three-year warranty period from the manufacturer which identifies and rectifies such faults without cost to the driver in the period where an MOT is not yet required.

RMI Director Stuart James said: “The government seems to take the view that the MOT is a burden on motorists.

“Road safety is a priority for them and their families and they understand that roadworthiness testing of vehicle is an important part of making our roads among the safest in Europe.”

Some experts have said that the trade should argue for a mileage cap on the fourth year MOT exemption, solving any high mileage related issues on dangerous cars that could otherwise continue to drive on our roads unchecked.

Many people have taken to twitter to voice their discontent and raise their concerns, although some motorists claim such changes are long overdue.

Do you think plans could go ahead to extend the first MOT date, despite the strong opposition and widespread concern for safety? Leave your opinions and share your concerns in the comments below. Don’t forget to send us your MOT horror pictures and stories.

24 Comments

  1. Nobody seems to be considering mileage of a vehicle never mind the age. We see vehicles that are regularly doing in excess of 25,000 miles per year and no test until a vehicle has done 100,000 miles is complete madness!

    Reply
  2. Nobody seems to be considering mileage of a vehicle never mind the age. We see vehicles that are regularly doing in excess of 25,000 miles per year and no test until a vehicle has done 100,000 miles is complete madness!

    Reply
  3. Crazy!!! Just proves that politicians and the like have no common sense! How many miles could a vehicle travel in four years? We already know that 60,000 mile service intervals don`t work.

    Reply
    • I think the motor trade are up in arms because they are going to lose some revenue – its not all about safety to them. The trade would like it tightened to two years so they can screw motorists for extra money – typical! There are so many dubious mot test stations out there that fleece the public and use their test centres as a license to print money! Quoting figures on first mot test failures is one thing – but what is the failures as a % of the total number of three year old cars tested that year? Additionally – how many of the failures were as a result of serious safety critical items? How many were simple failures over number plate or side light bulbs and the like? Enough said – personally I think all mot tests should be carried out by government officials employed by the DVSA on a “not for profit basis” that will rid us of the dubious garages ripping people off for work not required.

      Reply
      • Garages don’t screw anyone admittidley fast fit centres are under pressure to sell but the rest of us are just trying to make a living after the rmi then dvsa take thei rcut from us. If the goverment paid for mots road tax would be through the roof, fuel would be even more expensive

        Reply
  4. Crazy!!! Just proves that politicians and the like have no common sense! How many miles could a vehicle travel in four years? We already know that 60,000 mile service intervals don`t work.

    Reply
    • I think the motor trade are up in arms because they are going to lose some revenue – its not all about safety to them. The trade would like it tightened to two years so they can screw motorists for extra money – typical! There are so many dubious mot test stations out there that fleece the public and use their test centres as a license to print money! Quoting figures on first mot test failures is one thing – but what is the failures as a % of the total number of three year old cars tested that year? Additionally – how many of the failures were as a result of serious safety critical items? How many were simple failures over number plate or side light bulbs and the like? Enough said – personally I think all mot tests should be carried out by government officials employed by the DVSA on a “not for profit basis” that will rid us of the dubious garages ripping people off for work not required.

      Reply
      • Garages don’t screw anyone admittidley fast fit centres are under pressure to sell but the rest of us are just trying to make a living after the rmi then dvsa take thei rcut from us. If the goverment paid for mots road tax would be through the roof, fuel would be even more expensive

        Reply
  5. It is hard to believe that a supposedly intelligent man like George Osborne can even think about extending the first test date of new cars to 4 years. It might save the motorist on a single test fee, but what about the safety issue and no doubt increased insurance payouts with the resulting increase in accidents due to unroadworthy cars? With some of the cars that we see and the mileages on their first test, it would be more sensible to have the first test at 2 years and not the current 3!

    Reply
  6. It is hard to believe that a supposedly intelligent man like George Osborne can even think about extending the first test date of new cars to 4 years. It might save the motorist on a single test fee, but what about the safety issue and no doubt increased insurance payouts with the resulting increase in accidents due to unroadworthy cars? With some of the cars that we see and the mileages on their first test, it would be more sensible to have the first test at 2 years and not the current 3!

    Reply
  7. What a totally stupid idea! This was looked into and thankfully kicked out a few years ago.
    A lot of drivers nowadays are ignoring regular servicing for the misguided reason that they think they are saving money. This means that they only have the (very basic) MOT test to prove that their vehicle is safe enough to be on the road.
    As an MOT testing station we see a number of (normal mileage) three year old vehicles that fail their first MOT test, this stupid idea would mean that these vehicles would be sharing our roads with us for a further 12 months/12,000 miles before the defects are found (if they don’t fail & cause an accident before then!).
    The other issue is high mileage cars & light commercial vehicles, some which cover in excess of 25,000 miles a year meaning that they could have covered at least 100,000 miles before their first MOT test.
    This is just yet another example of how out of touch our politicians are with what actually happens in the real world.

    Reply
  8. What a totally stupid idea! This was looked into and thankfully kicked out a few years ago.
    A lot of drivers nowadays are ignoring regular servicing for the misguided reason that they think they are saving money. This means that they only have the (very basic) MOT test to prove that their vehicle is safe enough to be on the road.
    As an MOT testing station we see a number of (normal mileage) three year old vehicles that fail their first MOT test, this stupid idea would mean that these vehicles would be sharing our roads with us for a further 12 months/12,000 miles before the defects are found (if they don’t fail & cause an accident before then!).
    The other issue is high mileage cars & light commercial vehicles, some which cover in excess of 25,000 miles a year meaning that they could have covered at least 100,000 miles before their first MOT test.
    This is just yet another example of how out of touch our politicians are with what actually happens in the real world.

    Reply
  9. Who is George Osborne trying to fool ? Does he think he helping the motoring public by saving them the cost of a Mot test ? As a test station owner and like many other test stations across the country we get to see first hand the results of misinformed politicsion and the so called safety rules they pass with not a thought to how it will affect the the small independent garage owners and the people they employ .We see on a regular basis serious defects on vehicles presented for their first after 3 years ,only a fool or some one with a death wish would continue driving for a further 12 months in that condition . In my opinion George Osborne would help the motoring public better by reducing the price of fuel or may be road tax , that way they might be able to keep their vehicles in better shape.

    Reply
  10. Who is George Osborne trying to fool ? Does he think he helping the motoring public by saving them the cost of a Mot test ? As a test station owner and like many other test stations across the country we get to see first hand the results of misinformed politicsion and the so called safety rules they pass with not a thought to how it will affect the the small independent garage owners and the people they employ .We see on a regular basis serious defects on vehicles presented for their first after 3 years ,only a fool or some one with a death wish would continue driving for a further 12 months in that condition . In my opinion George Osborne would help the motoring public better by reducing the price of fuel or may be road tax , that way they might be able to keep their vehicles in better shape.

    Reply
  11. Too many people already book in by saying “there won’t be anything wrong with it, it’s the first MOT”, which of course regularly turns out not to be the case.
    An MOT, to a lot of people, is just another inconvenience and/or expense before they can buy the road tax – which seems to only be being reinforced by Osborne’s ‘saving motorists over “£100m a year”’ policy!

    Reply
  12. Too many people already book in by saying “there won’t be anything wrong with it, it’s the first MOT”, which of course regularly turns out not to be the case.
    An MOT, to a lot of people, is just another inconvenience and/or expense before they can buy the road tax – which seems to only be being reinforced by Osborne’s ‘saving motorists over “£100m a year”’ policy!

    Reply
  13. We see cars coming in for there first MOT with bold tyres , Badly worn ball joints & track rod ends. All which are safety critical. Most of our customers are happy to know that there vehicles are safe for the road & don’t mind paying for this. Its a token to say it will save the motorists money but in the long term it will probably end up costing them more.

    Reply
  14. We see cars coming in for there first MOT with bold tyres , Badly worn ball joints & track rod ends. All which are safety critical. Most of our customers are happy to know that there vehicles are safe for the road & don’t mind paying for this. Its a token to say it will save the motorists money but in the long term it will probably end up costing them more.

    Reply
  15. In my opinion 3yr old cars require as much attention as older vehicles, especially where mot issues are concerned. Headlight aim for example nearly always out of alignment never checked on a PDI before leaving the dealer ships, SRS warning lights ABS and traction warning lamps and low brake pad wear lights are frequently on during a vehicles first MOT. So to go to four yrs in my opinion is ridiculous it should be reduced to every yr

    Reply
  16. In my opinion 3yr old cars require as much attention as older vehicles, especially where mot issues are concerned. Headlight aim for example nearly always out of alignment never checked on a PDI before leaving the dealer ships, SRS warning lights ABS and traction warning lamps and low brake pad wear lights are frequently on during a vehicles first MOT. So to go to four yrs in my opinion is ridiculous it should be reduced to every yr

    Reply
  17. What a load of rubbish these politicians talk. George Osborne will spend most of his life being chauffeured around in a bullet proof car, what does he know about MOT’s, I bet he has never seen the inside a garage workshop let alone an MOT Station, or even how much an MOT costs.
    As tester i see many dangerous cars presented for their first MOT which are totally unroadworthy, well over 30%, have bald tyres, several worn steering components and broken springs. The main problem with new cars is that they are built with cheaply made components that only just do their job and often not even that, in order to save weight but quickly wear out unlike older cars where bigger and stronger components were used.

    As for class 7 MOT’s Vans etc the failure rate is over 70% on these vehicles. They can travel in excess of 150,000 miles in 3 years. My advice to the chancellor would be to test Class 7 vehicles after 1 year like Ambulances, and cars should be left at 3 years, but preferably 2 years from new.
    After all what is he trying to do, save the car owner 1 mot cost averaging £40. I would happily pay £40 and more a year to know my family was safe and my vehicle was not dangerous. It would also make sense to impose a fair fixed price for all MOT’s Country wide in order to stop price cutting and make the test safer.

    Reply
  18. What a load of rubbish these politicians talk. George Osborne will spend most of his life being chauffeured around in a bullet proof car, what does he know about MOT’s, I bet he has never seen the inside a garage workshop let alone an MOT Station, or even how much an MOT costs.
    As tester i see many dangerous cars presented for their first MOT which are totally unroadworthy, well over 30%, have bald tyres, several worn steering components and broken springs. The main problem with new cars is that they are built with cheaply made components that only just do their job and often not even that, in order to save weight but quickly wear out unlike older cars where bigger and stronger components were used.

    As for class 7 MOT’s Vans etc the failure rate is over 70% on these vehicles. They can travel in excess of 150,000 miles in 3 years. My advice to the chancellor would be to test Class 7 vehicles after 1 year like Ambulances, and cars should be left at 3 years, but preferably 2 years from new.
    After all what is he trying to do, save the car owner 1 mot cost averaging £40. I would happily pay £40 and more a year to know my family was safe and my vehicle was not dangerous. It would also make sense to impose a fair fixed price for all MOT’s Country wide in order to stop price cutting and make the test safer.

    Reply
  19. On the other side of the coin, who buys new cars, companies who mainly have them on lease and under that contract servicing is compulsory, Check. Second the public, a new car costs in the region of around 16k on average, if purchased privately then in this day and age a service plan is usually involved with the sale, safety, check. and in the same private area, if someone is paying out that initial money they in the massive majority are going to look after their new purchase. Nearly every new car has fitted service warning lights to inform the driver, engine management warnings to alert the driver, tyre pressure sensors to alert the driver, and so on. I have just given a few instances of the other side of the motorists view away from the trade who may feel that this will impact on the annual profits, as what they find or mention??? on an MOT is usually done in house at an extra cost to the owner. If that is not the case and the industry is truly concerned about safety and not loss of earnings and this 4 year rule comes in, then offer your customers a pre MOT at three years for free in readiness for the fourth year.

    Reply
  20. On the other side of the coin, who buys new cars, companies who mainly have them on lease and under that contract servicing is compulsory, Check. Second the public, a new car costs in the region of around 16k on average, if purchased privately then in this day and age a service plan is usually involved with the sale, safety, check. and in the same private area, if someone is paying out that initial money they in the massive majority are going to look after their new purchase. Nearly every new car has fitted service warning lights to inform the driver, engine management warnings to alert the driver, tyre pressure sensors to alert the driver, and so on. I have just given a few instances of the other side of the motorists view away from the trade who may feel that this will impact on the annual profits, as what they find or mention??? on an MOT is usually done in house at an extra cost to the owner. If that is not the case and the industry is truly concerned about safety and not loss of earnings and this 4 year rule comes in, then offer your customers a pre MOT at three years for free in readiness for the fourth year.

    Reply

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