MOT failure points are defects on your car serious enough to cause it to fail the inspection. Think worn brakes, broken lights, excessive rust on load-bearing parts, or tires below the minimum tread depth. How soon you’re allowed back on the road depends on how serious the defect is. In this article, we answer the most frequently asked questions about MOT failure points, so you know exactly where you stand.
Which parts are checked during an MOT inspection?
During an MOT inspection, the examiner checks dozens of components related to your car’s safety and environmental impact. The inspection covers everything from lights and brakes to the bodywork, steering system, and emissions. Don’t worry — you don’t need to bring anything yourself; the examiner goes through everything systematically.
These are the main components that are checked:
- Lights: front, rear, indicators, and brake lights
- Brakes: braking performance, brake discs, brake pads, and brake hoses
- Tires: tread depth (minimum 1.6 mm), wear, and damage
- Bodywork: rust on load-bearing and safety-critical parts
- Steering system: play and wear in steering components
- Exhaust emissions: emission levels and particulate output
- Windows and mirrors: visibility and condition of the windshield
- Seat belts: function and mounting
- Chassis and suspension: wear on ball joints, control arms, and shock absorbers
The inspection is required by law and is designed to keep unsafe vehicles off the road. Gasoline and electric cars go for their first MOT after four years, then annually. Diesel cars are required to go after three years.
What are the most common MOT failure points?
The most common MOT failure points are non-functioning lights, brakes that don’t work properly, tires with insufficient tread, and rust on load-bearing bodywork. These are also the points you can most easily check yourself before heading to the inspection.
In practice, the following failure points come up most often:
- Broken lights top the list. A tail light or brake light that has stopped working is easy to spot.
- Worn brake pads or brake discs result in an excessive stopping distance and are an immediate safety hazard.
- Tires below the minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. Also watch for uneven wear, which points to alignment issues.
- Rust on load-bearing parts such as the floor pan, control arms, or wheel arches.
- Defective windshield wipers or a damaged windshield within the driver’s field of vision.
- Leaking shock absorbers or play in the suspension.
- Excessive emissions, particularly in older diesel vehicles.
Many of these defects develop gradually. Having regular maintenance and repairs carried out is the best way to avoid surprises at the MOT.
What is the difference between a minor and a major MOT failure?
With a minor failure, you are still allowed to drive for two weeks to have the defect repaired and your car re-inspected. With a major failure, you may not use the car on public roads immediately after the inspection, because the defect is too dangerous.
The distinction lies in the severity of the defect and the risk it poses to road safety:
- Minor failure: You receive a document giving you two weeks to resolve the issue and have a re-inspection carried out. Examples include a broken tail light or minor rust in a non-load-bearing area.
- Major failure: The car may not be driven on public roads. This applies to defects that pose an immediate danger, such as completely worn brakes, severe rust on load-bearing parts, or a steering system that is no longer functioning properly.
After repairs, the re-inspection fee is lower than a full MOT, provided you return to the same inspection station within the set time limit.
How severe does rust need to be to fail an MOT?
The MOT does not look at how old the rust is, but at where it is located and how serious it is. Surface rust on non-load-bearing parts does not lead to a failure. Rust on load-bearing bodywork — such as the floor pan, control arms, or suspension mounting points — does lead to a failure once the structural integrity has been compromised.
The examiner assesses whether the rust affects the strength of the component. That means:
- Surface rust on a door panel or fender: not a failure point.
- Rust that has eaten through the floor pan or weakened the structure: a failure point, sometimes even a major failure.
- Rust on mounting points of the steering system or suspension: immediately dangerous and grounds for a major failure.
The age of the car plays no role in the assessment. A ten-year-old car with a clean underside will pass the MOT more easily than a five-year-old car that has been kept in a salty environment and was never undersealed.
What happens if your car fails the MOT?
If your car fails the MOT, you receive an inspection report listing all the defects. With a minor failure, you have two weeks to have the defects repaired and return for a re-inspection. With a major failure, you may not use the car on public roads until the defects have been fixed.
In practice, the process works like this:
- You receive a report with all failure points, clearly described.
- You have the defects repaired at a garage of your choice.
- You return to the inspection station for a re-inspection. This is cheaper than a full MOT, provided you return within the set time limit.
- Once everything is in order, you receive your MOT certificate.
If you drive on public roads with a car that has received a major failure, you risk a fine and your insurer may refuse to pay out in the event of an accident. That is a risk you really don’t want to take.
How do you avoid failing the MOT?
You can avoid an MOT failure by having your car serviced regularly and checking the most common failure points yourself a few weeks before the inspection. Most defects that lead to a failure are easy to see or feel if you pay attention.
Here’s what you can do yourself beforehand:
- Walk around your car in the evening with all the lights on. Check the front, rear, indicators, and brake lights.
- Check the tire pressure and tread depth. Insert a 1-euro coin into the grooves: if you can see the gold rim, the tread is too low.
- Pay attention to vibrations or pulling when braking — these point to worn brake discs.
- Look under the car for rust, leaks, or loose components.
- Test the windshield wipers and top up the washer fluid.
Make sure your car is serviced annually as well. Drivers who have their car checked regularly rarely encounter surprises at the MOT. A good service costs less than a failure, an emergency repair, and a re-inspection combined.
How Autobedrijven Verdonk helps with your MOT inspection
We carry out official MOT inspections for all car makes in Veldhoven. Wondering whether your car will pass, or would you like a pre-inspection check? We’re happy to arrange that for you. We specialize in Renault, Citroën, Peugeot, and Dacia, but we also welcome all other makes.
- Official MOT inspection for all makes
- On-the-spot repair of failure points where possible, so you don’t have to make two trips
- Clear explanations of any issues found, without technical jargon
- Honest pricing, no surprises afterward
- Authorized Renault dealer workshop for lease and warranty maintenance
Would you like to have your car inspected, or do you have questions about a potential failure? Get in touch or visit us in Veldhoven. We’ll take the time to help you. Read more about our history and why people have been coming back to us for over 95 years.