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MOTs come around quicker than you think, and there’s often something that will catch you off guard. In this article, the 1st Call Windscreens team will be taking a look at some of the most common reasons why vehicles fail an MOT so that you’re armed with all of the knowledge you need to make sure your vehicle passes!
Unknown to many, lights and signals are actually the most common reason why most vehicles fail their MOT.
A simple way to check whether your lights are pass worthy is by switching all of your lights on, walking around your vehicle and checking for a blown bulb or misty plastic casing. Don’t forget to check the indicators too!
Whether it’s potholes or a bit of accidental kerb riding, your suspension can take a serious knock out on the road, so make sure you check for issues regularly.
There are two key ways that you can check your suspension:
Around one in ten MOT vehicle failures are due to problems with brakes, so it pays to check these in advance.
Here’s how you can do just that:
Vehicles don’t fail MOTs for tyre problems quite as often as you might think, but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check yours regularly to see if they’re in working order.
One of the best ways to do this is with the 20p test. Pop a 20p coin in your tyre’s tread. Does the tread of the tyre eclipse the rim around the coin’s edge? If so, then your tyres are above the legal minimum; if you can still see the rim of the coin, then you will need to look into getting a new set of tyres.
Many vehicles fail their MOT due to the driver not having a clear field of view through the windscreen, so make sure you check that yours is clear before you take your car in.
Are there any objects or gadgets on the dashboard that obscure your view? Sat navs? Air fresheners? If so, it’s probably best to get rid of these. And of course, if you have a chip or crack that’s in your line of sight, then you need to look at getting a repair or replacement immediately!
Don’t forget to check your wipers too, and fill up the screen wash fluid if need be!
Avoid failing your MOT by booking in with 1st Call Windscreens today.
Emissions are a common cause of MOT failures, which is why checking your exhaust system should be high on your to-do list.
Consider buying a fuel treatment pack to clean out the system before the test, and it’s probably also a good idea to do an engine test at high revs too, to really clear out anything that might have settled.
Seat belts that don’t work properly can often be a cause of MOT failures, and they could well save your life in the event of a collision, so make sure that you check these regularly!
They need to retract easily and smoothly, so make sure that you spend some time removing any twists or knots. Once they are all secure and in position, you should be good to go.
It can be easy to forget about your mirrors in the run-up to an MOT, but they are absolutely essential when it comes to staying aware out on the road, so make sure that they are in top condition!
Check for any signs of damage on the mirror themselves and make sure they’re clean too – there’s no use in having a damage-free mirror that you can’t see anything in.
The chances are that if you’ve been using your car a lot and a warning light pops up, you will spot it, but just in case you didn’t, turn the ignition on and check now! If the tester does this and spots a warning light, you will fail instantly. This catches more people out than you would think.
There’s nothing worse than spending time making sure your vehicle is all prim and proper only to fail your MOT due to a dirty registration plate, so don’t forget to give it a clean and make sure it’s easily legible. Don’t forget to check that the associated light is working too!
1st Call Windscreens are the leading windscreen repair and replacement company throughout Maidstone, Sittingbourne and the wider Kent area. For more information about our services or to book yourself in, contact us today.
Posted by: 1st Call Windscreens
We are proud to be a leading windscreen company covering our local areas of Maidstone, Sittingbourne and the rest of Kent since 1996. Our 25+ years experience in windscreen services includes windscreen repair and replacement for cars, vans, trucks and more! Our expert technicians hold the relevant qualifications so you can rest easy knowing that your windscreen is in safe hands.
Discovered my Volvo V50 was not sealing at the top. Autoglass wanted to replace it for £700, called 1st Call and they removed and resealed it for £100+vat and said that if it had broken it would only ...
- 6 days ago
Absolutely the best. From the first phone call to collecting my car with new side window that had been vandalised being replaced. next day service so my car was back on the road promptly. Extremely ...
- 3 weeks ago
Excellent Workmanship Good Value and Top Quality Customer Service: I recently had my Ford Fiesta ST heated windscreen replaced by 1st Call Windscreens, I couldn't be happier with the whole experienc...
- 1 month ago
Brilliant service. Would recommend 1st call windscreens to anyone looking for an efficient service. Friendly and helpful above and beyond ! 0...
- 1 month ago
Asked for a quote online which came through quickly. Just £48 inc vat for windscreen stone chip. Phoned to book a repair. I could either take the car to them or they would come out to me the next day....
- 2 months ago
Tom turned up on time, he was professional but friendly, he kept me informed on what he was doing and progress, and did a great job! Thanks Tom. Would highly recommend...
- 2 months ago
I needed my windscreen replaced due to a large crack; I was booked in straight away and I couldn’t be happier. They came to my house to fit the replacement, only took them about 20 minutes and they ev...
- 3 months ago
Couldn't be happier, had my Evoque windscreen re sealed as was leaking. Highly recommend 1st Call Windscreens. The guys were extremely helpful & friendly both on phone and doing the work. The work was...
- 3 months ago
Fantastic service, booked for a site visit to alleviate any disruption to the engineers day and it all went seamlessly. I would definitely recommend 1st Call Windscreens and will use them in the futu...
- 3 months ago
Customer service were great responded to my call out vey quickly and the guy that came out was very nice and helpful Thank you...
- 4 months ago
Had my chip fixed at my home this afternoon - cannot praise the service enough!!!! Lovely man who took 10-15 minutes - perfect job and no issues - very good price and highly recommend them Jo Seveno...
- 5 months ago
Very helpful and carried out a repair at very short notice on our way to catch a ferry. Very polite and stabilised the chip in our windscreen so that we could continue abroad for our holiday uninterru...
- 6 months ago
Made a call to 1st call windscreens as I was worried about a chip in my screen. The guys were very helpful, turned up on time and carried out a fantastic repair and was cheaperthan my insurance acce...
- 6 months ago
We had an emergency windscreen repair needed when travelling down from Oxfordshire to Kent. The Sittingbourne team went out of their way to help us at very short notice and allowing us to resume our j...
- 6 months ago
Jake was friendly, polite and helpful. He left no mess inside or outside the car and took away the boxes the seals came in even though they were supplied direct by the BMW dealer....
- 7 months ago
Arrived on time at my home address. Was very professional, polite and efficient. No hassle and no mess. Screen was replaced on my mini in no time at all and looks perfect. Thank you will highly recom...
- 7 months ago
So happy with Byron and Jake today very friendly and professional from 1st Call Windscreens Ltd. They come extremely well prepared with attention to detail. A great job was done on replacing my wind...
- 7 months ago
1st Call windscreens are absolutely 1st class. Spoke with David on the phone and he was so helpful and knowledgeable. Took our car up to them to advise on the correct windscreens which embarrassingl...
- 7 months ago
George west from 1st call windscreens Ltd was quite friendly and managed to do a fantastic job on my stone CHIP WINDSCREEN....
- 7 months ago
Excellent all round service and a very quick response so we highly recommend 1st Call Windscreens every time....
- 8 months ago
Great service from Kieran. Easy to arrange. Convenience of a home visit and great professional job. So happy....
- 8 months ago
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