Hundreds of cars have been turned away from MOT centres because they were either too dirty, or too dangerous, to test.
More than 7,000 vehicles suffered an MOT refusal in the first half of this year, according to a study from Select Car Leasing. This is not a fail, but a refusal to be tested in the first instance, with circumstances preventing testers from being able, or wanting, to look at the vehicle.
A total of 785 MOT refusal notices were issued because the car was presented in a manner that was ‘too dangerous’ for a proper inspection to be carried out, with a threat posed to the tester, surrounding property, and the car itself.
Meanwhile, 526 cars suffered an MOT refusal for being too dirty to examine. In 302 cases, the car was not ‘fit to be driven’, while 139 MOT refusal notices were issued because the owner could not prove the vehicle had been serviced and maintained properly.
A further 87 vehicles were refused an MOT test because they were carrying a dodgy load, and 57 vehicles were too smoky to be granted access to the MOT station.
Not everyone’s pride and joy
The stats, gleaned from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and which cover a five-month period from January to May 2023 – are a shocking reminder about the state of some of the cars on UK roads.
“Our research proves that not all vehicles are someone’s ‘pride and joy’, and hundreds are seemingly neglected to the point of being downright dangerous,” commented Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing. “It is one thing for a car, van or motorcycle to fail an MOT, quite another to be in such a sorry state of disrepair and cleanliness that an inspection can’t be granted in the first place.
“The stats highlight the need to present your car to an MOT testing station in a clean and tidy condition. Make sure all the doors open and close as they should and empty the boot of detritus to make inspection simple and easy. And if your vehicle’s cabin is piled high with sandwich cartons, empty crisp packets, spent vapes, and dirty clothes, an MOT tester has every reason to refuse to set foot in it.”
Select Car Leasing also points out that MOT test centres often display posters highlighting the fact that cars can subject to an MOT refusal if the owner cannot prove a solid service and maintenance history.
When it comes to the MOT refusal reason of ‘suspect maintenance history of diesel engine’, Conway added: “When a car is put through its MOT, the engine needs to be revved hard so that the tester can check for emissions and general road worthiness.
“With a diesel engine, the car is often revved right to the redline limit. But if the tester suspects that your car has not been well maintained, he or she will be reluctant to put it through the test in the first place, in case the testing process actually obliterates the engine. As well as evidence of service history, a tester might also ask for proof that the timing belt has been changed on time.”
MOT refusal – most popular reasons
Overall, the most common reason for an MOT refusal in the first five months of this year, with 2,988 cases, is that the test centre was not equipped to carry out an inspection on that particular class of vehicle.
The second most common reason for an MOT refusal, contributing to 1,112 cases, is the inability to open essential parts of the vehicle, such as the doors, boot, fuel filler cap or engine cover.
One MOT tester recently opened-up about refusing to inspect dirty cars, saying he declined the customer ‘point blank’ as he did not know ‘what he might catch’ from sitting inside the vehicle.
