For those that are interested, the new MOT history site..

[With these feet]

cheesewotsit said:

My neighbours crap-box Daihatsu Sirion doesn't appear to have a valid MOT and hasn't since August. She takes it to work everyday.

What to do...

[quote]Test date 20 August 2014
Expiry date 22 August 2015
Test Result Pass
Odometer reading 66,192 miles
MOT test number 9879 2213 4296 Advisory notice item(s)
Front registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be misread (6.3.1d)
Underside of vehicle starting to rust with rear chassis legs looking weak

Perhaps we will soon have a "Shop your neighbour for no MOT" phone line so the police wont have to....

[Negative Creep]

SonicShadow said:

Negative Creep said:

Been playing around with this today, and put my Dad's Focus in. Beat this for reliability!

In what world is MOT history a measure of reliability?

Because it shows the car isnt developing faults that migjt not be noticable such as rust or worn bushes? In that entire time the only non-consumable he's ever had to replace is a snapped power steering belt. As he always takes great pleasure in reminding me every time one of mine goes wrong

[lostkiwi]

Negative Creep said:

SonicShadow said:

Negative Creep said:

Been playing around with this today, and put my Dad's Focus in. Beat this for reliability!

In what world is MOT history a measure of reliability?

Because it shows the car isnt developing faults that migjt not be noticable such as rust or worn bushes? In that entire time the only non-consumable he's ever had to replace is a snapped power steering belt. As he always takes great pleasure in reminding me every time one of mine goes wrong

I'd say its more a measure of how well its been maintained.
A car which has a history of Fail/Pass, Fail/Pass Fail/Pass is clearly being run on a shoestring whereas one that's Pass, Pass, Pass, Pass is being well maintained and having everything fixed as soon as its needed.

[anonymous-user]

Got another interesting one on another M3 I've been eyeing up.

Test date 15 July 2015
Expiry date 14 July 2016
Test Result Pass
MOT test number 6068 6649 5118

So all good. Well no, because on the same day......

Test date 15 July 2015
Test Result Fail
MOT test number 3176 7649 5181
Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Offside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
Nearside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)
Advisory notice item(s)
Tyre pressure monitoring system warning lamp does not illuminate (4.1.D.4)

Whilst I can believe that a few bulbs can be replaced quickly for the incorrect bulb colour fails I can't believe that all brake hoses were replaced and rear brake (I presume caliper) on the same day?

I'm starting to think that finding a decent E46 M3 is going to be difficult!

[SonicShadow]

St John Smythe said:

Got another interesting one on another M3 I've been eyeing up.

Test date 15 July 2015
Expiry date 14 July 2016
Test Result Pass
MOT test number 6068 6649 5118

So all good. Well no, because on the same day......

Test date 15 July 2015
Test Result Fail
MOT test number 3176 7649 5181
Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Offside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
Nearside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)
Advisory notice item(s)
Tyre pressure monitoring system warning lamp does not illuminate (4.1.D.4)

Whilst I can believe that a few bulbs can be replaced quickly for the incorrect bulb colour fails I can't believe that all brake hoses were replaced and rear brake (I presume caliper) on the same day?

I'm starting to think that finding a decent E46 M3 is going to be difficult!

Why not?

Given that the work should have been done only a few months ago, it will be very clear if these items are replaced if the seller allows you to jack it up and have a look.

[anonymous-user]

SonicShadow said:

St John Smythe said:

Got another interesting one on another M3 I've been eyeing up.

Test date 15 July 2015
Expiry date 14 July 2016
Test Result Pass
MOT test number 6068 6649 5118

So all good. Well no, because on the same day......

Test date 15 July 2015
Test Result Fail
MOT test number 3176 7649 5181
Reason(s) for failure
Nearside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Offside Side repeater incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)
Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)
Nearside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)
Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)
Advisory notice item(s)
Tyre pressure monitoring system warning lamp does not illuminate (4.1.D.4)

Whilst I can believe that a few bulbs can be replaced quickly for the incorrect bulb colour fails I can't believe that all brake hoses were replaced and rear brake (I presume caliper) on the same day?

I'm starting to think that finding a decent E46 M3 is going to be difficult!

Why not?

Given that the work should have been done only a few months ago, it will be very clear if these items are replaced if the seller allows you to jack it up and have a look.

Because I've owned cars in the past that have had to have similar work done and each time it wouldn't have been possible to get it done same day and retested.

[Willy Nilly]

I sold my old Civic with 129,000 miles on it in Feb 2014. The following April it had done 121,000 miles and now had 131,000

[regprentice]

Looking for a cheap runabout and have just run a small car through the mot site. Its the first plate i've put through to have not had a single listed fail!

However....current owner has let mot expire. So do we think a currently unmoted car with no previous fails is worth a punt for shed money? I'm guessing (hoping) its had a previous fastidious owner then a subsequent owner who shedded it for the duration of the mot it came with.

[SonicShadow]

St John Smythe said:

Because I've owned cars in the past that have had to have similar work done and each time it wouldn't have been possible to get it done same day and retested.

I've rebuilt all 4 calipers on my MR2, replaced handbrake cables, braided hoses and new discs / pads in less than a day. The majority of that time was caliper rebuilding, and cleaning up the carriers etc. Two brake lines and a single caliper wouldn't take long at all, especially if you have access to a full compliment of tools / lift / space. I did mine on axle stands.

In this case, we don't actually know if it needed a new caliper - it could have been a number of things. As long as the parts were available from the local motor factor on the same day then it's not impossible.

[anonymous-user]

SonicShadow said:

St John Smythe said:

Because I've owned cars in the past that have had to have similar work done and each time it wouldn't have been possible to get it done same day and retested.

I've rebuilt all 4 calipers on my MR2, replaced handbrake cables, braided hoses and new discs / pads in less than a day. The majority of that time was caliper rebuilding, and cleaning up the carriers etc. Two brake lines and a single caliper wouldn't take long at all, especially if you have access to a full compliment of tools / lift / space. I did mine on axle stands.

In this case, we don't actually know if it needed a new caliper - it could have been a number of things. As long as the parts were available from the local motor factor on the same day then it's not impossible.

Great but not for me. I can wait for the right car to come along.

[margerison]

St John Smythe said:

Great but not for me. I can wait for the right car to come along.

Do those MOT numbers above refer to an individual test centre or are they the unique test certificate umber? If the former, I would be concerned about such a quick retest.

[GDub44]

margerison said:

Do those MOT numbers above refer to an individual test centre or are they the unique test certificate umber? If the former, I would be concerned about such a quick retest.

Intrigued about this also as purchased an XF from a main dealer. Car registered 1 Sep 2010 and was first tested 17 July 2013. But then tested again 24 July 2013. Passed both times and currently has no problems (that I'm aware of) but curious as to why it would be tested twice in such a short space of time having initially passed?

[SonicShadow]

margerison said:

Do those MOT numbers above refer to an individual test centre or are they the unique test certificate umber? If the former, I would be concerned about such a quick retest.

The number refers to a test certificate.

[carinaman]

St John Smythe said:

Because I've owned cars in the past that have had to have similar work done and each time it wouldn't have been possible to get it done same day and retested.

How often do garages wait on parts so it's not just the time taken to repair it? It's the time getting the parts or waiting for them to arrive.

It's a useful little tool for checking out perspective purchases even if the previous one gave more details with regard to the testing station and mileage. At least now a MoT history can be checked without having to get the V5C or MoT test cert. number from the vendor.

[E36Ross]

Been running a few cars through this. (UK cars currently for sale on DoneDeal.ie in Southern Ireland)
For anyone interested just search UK Reg or English Reg.

About 1 in 3 are clocked, Around 100k less in most cases.

Also found a Vectra with 160k Miles, Last MOT was 280k Miles!!

[lostkiwi]

E36Ross said:

Been running a few cars through this. (UK cars currently for sale on DoneDeal.ie in Southern Ireland)
For anyone interested just search UK Reg or English Reg.

About 1 in 3 are clocked, Around 100k less in most cases.

Also found a Vectra with 160k Miles, Last MOT was 280k Miles!!

Did it with my old T5 Volvo. Sold at 220k miles, next MOT was 89k miles!

[Jimmyarm]

carinaman said:

St John Smythe said:

Because I've owned cars in the past that have had to have similar work done and each time it wouldn't have been possible to get it done same day and retested.

How often do garages wait on parts so it's not just the time taken to repair it? It's the time getting the parts or waiting for them to arrive.

It's a useful little tool for checking out perspective purchases even if the previous one gave more details with regard to the testing station and mileage. At least now a MoT history can be checked without having to get the V5C or MoT test cert. number from the vendor.

The parts thing is usually what causes the wait, that list could be done in an hour or so of actual work. If you have a decent motor factor then you usually have bits to you within an hour.

For run of the mill cars it is unusual for us not to MOT & fix/retest the same day tbh but it depends on the setup of the garage you use.

This site is very handy when looking at sheds, something to bear in mind though is that just because last years list of advisories doesnt appear on the next MOT does not mean they have been rectified....

[mackay45]

Interesting site!

Searched for my current/past cars and then had a look at car pictures on my phone and ran a few of them. Surprising how low some of the mileages are (consistently low so not clocked). 2x TVR Sagaris which only managed 1k/2k between MOTs. A Ferrari 599 GTO which I saw tucked away in the corner of a Sunday Service a couple of years ago, registered in March 2011 and as of Feb 15 was only on 2,636 miles

Edited to add, on the history of a Carrera GT:

Reason(s) for failure:
Offside Front Wheel insecure (4.2.A.1c)
Offside Rear Wheel insecure (4.2.A.1c)
Nearside Front Wheel insecure (4.2.A.1c)
Nearside Front Upper Windscreen has damage to an area in excess of a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Edited by mackay45 on Wednesday 28th October 15:20

[funkyrobot]

Site seems to have been down for a few days now.

[F355GTS]

funkyrobot said:

Site seems to have been down for a few days now.

think the link's been updated

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk