MOT testing
A legal test against a minimum standard, done on site rather than sent away. We charge £45 against a DVSA cap of £54.85, and the retest is free if the car stays with us.
Book this in
MOT testing · price before we startNo obligation — we price it before anything is touched
Book your car in- Price
- £45Cap is £54.85, frozen since 2010
- Classes
- 4 and 7Cars, light vans and vans to 3,500kg
- Time
- 45–60 minsBooked slots, not a queue
- Retest
- FreeIf it stays, within 10 working days
What the MOT is, and is not
An MOT is a legal inspection against a minimum standard: brakes, tyres, lights, emissions, steering, suspension, structure and so on. It produces a pass or a fail and nothing else. It is not a service, it does not change anything, and a pass does not mean the car is in good health — only that on the day it met the minimum.
The first MOT is due on the third anniversary of registration, then every twelve months. You can present a car up to a month minus a day before expiry and keep the original renewal date, which is why booking a fortnight out is sensible rather than leaving it to the week.
The retest rule worth knowing
If the car fails, what happens next decides what it costs. Leave it with us for the repair and the retest is free, provided it is retested within ten working days. Take it away and bring it back before the end of the next working day and a partial retest is still free, but only on a DVSA-listed set of items — lamps, wipers, tyres, seatbelts, doors and similar.
Take it anywhere else, or come back later than that, and you pay the full fee again. Most people never get told this, and it is the single easiest way to avoid paying twice.
What happens, step by step
Book a slot
Ring or book online with the registration. We work to booked slots rather than a queue, so you get a time rather than a morning.
The test
45 to 60 minutes for a Class 4. You are welcome to wait, and on most days you can watch from the office.
The result, explained
Pass, fail or advisory — and we explain the advisories rather than printing them and handing them over. An advisory is a warning, not a bill.
If it fails
We ring with what failed, what it costs and what it is worth. Nothing is touched until you say yes.
Free retest
Leave it with us and the retest is free within ten working days. That is DVSA's rule, not a promotion.
Certificate and reminder
The pass goes straight onto the DVSA record. We can text you a month before it is next due if you want.
What’s covered
Class 4
Cars, motor caravans and light vans up to 3,000kg.
Class 7
Larger vans, 3,000 to 3,500kg. Cap for Class 7 is £58.60.
Brakes
Efficiency and balance measured on a rolling road.
Tyres
Tread, condition and sidewalls, all four.
Lighting
The single biggest defect category at roughly 24.7%.
Suspension
Second biggest at around 19.5%. Checked on the ramp.
Emissions
To the standard for the vehicle's age and fuel.
Structure
Corrosion in prescribed areas, honestly assessed.
MOT testing questions
How much is an MOT?
Ours is £45. The DVSA caps a Class 4 test at £54.85 and has done since April 2010. No test station can legally charge more than the cap, and most charge less.
What happens if it fails?
We ring you with what failed and what it costs. If the car stays with us the retest is free within ten working days. If you take it away, you have until the end of the next working day for a free partial retest on a listed set of items.
Can I watch the test?
On most days, yes. Ask when you book and we will tell you where to stand.
How early can I get it tested?
Up to a month minus a day before expiry, and you keep the original renewal date. Any earlier and you lose the remaining time.
What is an advisory?
Something that passed but is heading towards a failure. It is a warning and a timescale, not an instruction. We will tell you which advisories matter and which genuinely do not.
Where we do this work
All work is carried out at the Torrington Avenue workshop. We collect across these areas.
Tell us the reg and what it’s doing
Same working day answer with a realistic price and the next free slot.