Test drive, no MOT

[speedking31]

Is it legal to test drive a car from a main dealer if it does not have a current MOT?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

No. Unless your test drive if from the dealership to an MOT station for a pre booked MOT.

[eybic]

I'd say no, Trade plates cover the tax side of things but not the MOT. An un mot'd car can only be driven to a pre booked MOT test.

[HantsRat]

No. The car needs to have an MOT.

[ging84]

dealers have trade plates which cover it to be test driven / demonstrated on the road

[Red Devil]

Quite, but they don't for customer demonstration purposes without a current valid MOT where applicable.
Hants Rat is correct. See - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa... page 2

[Derek Smith]

ging84 said:

dealers have trade plates which cover it to be test driven / demonstrated on the road

Trade plates cover the lack of VED. They can also be used where the vehicle has not been previously registered.

[cologne2792]

So hypothetically, if the sellers facilities included MOTTesting, an employee could drive the car on trade plates about 10 miles from the garage, book the car in for an MOT and the potential customer could then drive it back ?

[Nickyboy]

How old is the car? Under 3 yeasrs old doesn't need an MOT

[Hol]

cologne2792 said:

So hypothetically, if the sellers facilities included MOTTesting, an employee could drive the car on trade plates about 10 miles from the garage, book the car in for an MOT and the potential customer could then drive it back ?

Hyperthetically, you could by a train ticket between two stations on the south coast and travel in a huge great loop via Scotland to do it.

I'm not sure a ticket inspector would agree it what the rules meant though.


Perhaps the question to be asked is... if the dealer is willing to take the risk an we get caught, who gets the fine etc..

[cologne2792]

Hol said:

cologne2792 said:

So hypothetically, if the sellers facilities included MOTTesting, an employee could drive the car on trade plates about 10 miles from the garage, book the car in for an MOT and the potential customer could then drive it back ?

Hyperthetically, you could by a train ticket between two stations on the south coast and travel in a huge great loop via Scotland to do it.

I'm not sure a ticket inspector would agree it what the rules meant though.


Perhaps the question to be asked is... if the dealer is willing to take the risk an we get caught, who gets the fine etc..

It is stretching things I must admit. But as there's no distance limit on how far a pre-booked MOT can be it did make me genuinely wonder.

[Hol]

cologne2792 said:

Hol said:

cologne2792 said:

So hypothetically, if the sellers facilities included MOTTesting, an employee could drive the car on trade plates about 10 miles from the garage, book the car in for an MOT and the potential customer could then drive it back ?

Hyperthetically, you could by a train ticket between two stations on the south coast and travel in a huge great loop via Scotland to do it.

I'm not sure a ticket inspector would agree it what the rules meant though.


Perhaps the question to be asked is... if the dealer is willing to take the risk an we get caught, who gets the fine etc..

It is stretching things I must admit. But as there's no distance limit on how far a pre-booked MOT can be it did make me genuinely wonder.

True, but there's also nothing to say you shouldn't deviate from the most direct roue either.

Also, the whole exercise assumes you'll actually be getting the car tested at some point. £40-50?

[trickywoo]

I'd be more worried as to why a main dealer is trying to sell a car with no mot.

They must have mot facilities, it would take 40 minutes to put through.

I certainly wouldn't buy it without a new one and in the circumstances I think I'd ask for it at an independent tester.

It all sound a bit like playing poker with someone who knows their hand and yours and what's in the deck.

[SmoothCriminal]

cologne2792 said:

So hypothetically, if the sellers facilities included MOTTesting, an employee could drive the car on trade plates about 10 miles from the garage, book the car in for an MOT and the potential customer could then drive it back ?

How does the employee get the car there without a valid mot?

[Stoofa]

SmoothCriminal said:

How does the employee get the car there without a valid mot?

Trailer I'd guess.
It's all a theory though. I'd be surprised if any garage is going to risk doing something like this. If the garage do their own MOT's they should get it done now and sell the car with the remainder. If the car hangs around for a couple of months, just run it through again - not as if the financial hit is going to be that much.

[Gemmot]

Why would you be happy buying, let alone test driving a car with no MOT from a dealer????

Can only imagine what else theyre doing on the cheap.... run away!

[Nickyboy]

Every car i've bought from a dealer has been MOT'd after i leave a deposit or pay for it. No point MOTing a car for it to sit on the forecourt possibly for months

[JimmyConwayNW]

Nickyboy said:

Every car i've bought from a dealer has been MOT'd after i leave a deposit or pay for it. No point MOTing a car for it to sit on the forecourt possibly for months

Exactly that hardly a major issue. Not like they are just planning on sending it out like that and hoping you don't notice.

[trickywoo]

JimmyConwayNW said:

Nickyboy said:

Every car i've bought from a dealer has been MOT'd after i leave a deposit or pay for it. No point MOTing a car for it to sit on the forecourt possibly for months

Exactly that hardly a major issue. Not like they are just planning on sending it out like that and hoping you don't notice.

Except it would cost them virtually nothing to mot it and if they are expecting it to sit around for months the pricing must be highly optimistic.

[steve-5snwi]

if its got 4 weeks or less we would mot it. If a customer wants to take the car we would pay for the mot at a local mot centre.

But if the car has no mot then it cannot be driven unless its on its way to a test centre.