MOT history - wasn't aware this was allowed for a pass

[Wonderman]

Went to look at car briefly, no reg on (trade) advert so just popped by to find reg and a general look around for general condition. So naturally look up MOT checker and looks okay for first 9 years of life, then "no odometer", then a mileage and then followed by mileage "unreadable" for the next 4 years, then a mileage last year, and just passed this summer with "unreadable" I had assumed you had to have milometer (aren't all items on dash supposed to work to get a pass), and would that also not imply no speedo which I assume would be a fail?

[anonymous-user]

Wonderman said:

I had assumed you had to have milometer (aren't all items on dash supposed to work to get a pass), and would that also not imply no speedo which I assume would be a fail?

Milometer isn't part of the MoT test, and an unreadable milometer (e.g. an electronic one with failed pixels) doesn't necessarily mean the speedo isn't working.

Everything on the dash doesn't have to be working for an MoT pass, that's just a common misconception usually due to lazy media coverage of changes to warning light rules.

[mbwoy84]

Very common with a pixelated dash or no display at all. There’s nothing to say you need a mileage for the MOT.

[Athlon]

shine a decent pen torch on the odometer and you can usually read it! It's usually the back light that fails.