Does an MOT become invalid

[kendunlop]

We are hoping to seel our car to a friend with a new MOT (current one three months to go) If it fails we will trade it in instead. Question, -- if it does fail the MOT, does the current one stay valid for the three months or does it become invalid.

[joggerjayne]

Yes, if you put it in for a new one, and it fails, the old one is invalid.

[boxtops]

I think so too - the only one is good for 3 months but if it fails in between times, it fails.

[boxtops]

^ and PS, all the records now go electronically to the DVLA from the test centre, so there is no way round it.

[sunny-dave]

Yes - the old one lapses and it's all logged on the DVLA computer, so you'll get pulled by the ANPR cameras too

[KJN]

MOT Failure Question

A question that is often asked follows:

If car fails MOT is the old test certificate still valid until its expiry date?

Well the answer does not seem to be found on any of the government information about the MOT test, so we emailed VOSA with this question and this is their response:

"An MOT certificate is valid until its expiry date. However if your vehicle fails a test before this date and you do not rectify the defects then you are driving an unroadworthy vehicle which is an offence."

So to put this into context if your car fails the MOT due to illegal tyres then you are driving an unroadworthy vehicle, you were driving unroadworthy vehicle before the MOT, and you will be driving an unroadworthy vehicle until you get a new tyre. Therefore at anytime if caught you would be subject to a £2500 fine and 3 points per illegal tyre.

However once you get a new tyre your car is roadworthy and the old MOT is still valid until its expiry date, thus you can then drive your car again and get it retested to your timescale, with out worrying about driving without an MOT.

This is a very good reason to book your Mot early and give yourself plenty of time to book a retest if needed.

[Old_Geezer]

If it fails you can always get it fixed.

No legal expert, but I'd suspect the new test updated the vehicle's recorded state and it is the car that needs to be ok; so it would no longer be road legal. After all, it's not a magic paper making it ok; it's a record of the last known state.

But I could be wrong. The law so often seems to differ from common sense.

[Old_Geezer]

Wow, did it realy take me 5 minutes to write that ?