MOT seven seat question

[toerag]

Hi, Just a quick question (I hope)

I have picked up a seven seat VW Touran on the cheap (sub £500 for Daily Mail readers) that needs an MOT tomorrow.

Problem being the seat belts for the third row are frayed.

Can I just cut the belts and remove the third row of seats to get it through the MOT?

Thanks in advance.

[petrolbloke]

If you remove the seats and the belts I think it'll be fine. Not sure about cutting the belts - might be OK if you remove the seats.

The MOT testing manual is available online which will have a definitive answer:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-...

Edit:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-...
You do not need to inspect a belt fitted with no corresponding seat

So just removing the seats should be enough - no need to cut/remove the belts.

Edited by petrolbloke on Monday 1st August 14:14

[Scrump]

The MOT testers manual (previously linked) says no need to test seatbelts where there is no seat fitted. Section 7.1

[toerag]

petrolbloke said:

If you remove the seats and the belts I think it'll be fine. Not sure about cutting the belts - might be OK if you remove the seats.

The MOT testing manual is available online which will have a definitive answer:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-...

You do not need to inspect:

a belt fitted with no corresponding seat
a buckle or stalk with no corresponding belt

Great stuff thank you!

[poo at Paul's]

The touran 7 seater seats just fold down into the boot, and then it’s a 5 seater!
Just load a bit of stuff in to ace sure they don’t go roooting!

[BertBert]

Nothing to do with the topic, but curious about how the third row seat belts got frayed!

[V8 Animal]

I’ve got a X5 7 seater but use it as a 5.
Passed its MOT yesterday it’s 4th
I don’t think tester has ever lifted the third row to get to buckle to test belts like they do for all other seats.
My guess they haven’t spotted the belts hidden in the bodywork.

[PhilboSE]

V8 Animal said:

I’ve got a X5 7 seater but use it as a 5.
Passed its MOT yesterday it’s 4th
I don’t think tester has ever lifted the third row to get to buckle to test belts like they do for all other seats.
My guess they haven’t spotted the belts hidden in the bodywork.

It’s a good point I’ve never thought about. Had 7 seater cars for over 10 years now, they always go in for MOT with the last row down. The middle row always comes back with all the belts buckled up for testing, but the last row is apparently untouched.

[Truffles]

BertBert said:

Nothing to do with the topic, but curious about how the third row seat belts got frayed!

Dogs in the back chewing the belts.

[Triumph Man]

toerag said:

Hi, Just a quick question (I hope)

I have picked up a seven seat VW Touran on the cheap (sub £500 for Daily Mail readers) that needs an MOT tomorrow.

Problem being the seat belts for the third row are frayed.

Can I just cut the belts and remove the third row of seats to get it through the MOT?

Thanks in advance.

How frayed is frayed? A previous owner's dog chewed one of the 3rd row seatbelts in my Discovery, and it got an advisory for it. The next year (the first MoT I had it for) it didn't get anything.

[Chromegrill]

Would removing seats trigger a dashboard warning light? That could then fail the MOT.....

[meduk1]

Had our 7 seater Skoda MOT’d last week and it was in 5 seat mode - they didn’t test the rear seats. They actually noted that they didn’t test as our child booster seats were fitted in the middle row.

No issues.

[GT6k]

Local MoT station insisted that the lift out rear seat in my 7 seater were present for the MoT otherwise they would note on the certificate that only 5 seats were tested.

[ED209]

Fit some kids seats to the offending seats then they will be u able to test the belts and you will get an advisory for it.

Happened to me last week when I forgot to take the kids seat out on MOT day.

[Tommo87]

How did the MOT go today?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

BertBert said:

Nothing to do with the topic, but curious about how the third row seat belts got frayed!

It's a VW thing. Nearly everybody I know with an oldish (not really old, they seem to do better!) VW has had an MOT failure with frayed seat belts.

[Draxindustries1]

Nothing to do with dogs chewing belts but a mate had his labrador actually rip the drivers seat apart totally while waiting for daddy to return at the hardware shop.
He was only there a very short while but Scamp was having none of it, the whole back of the drivers seat from
daddy's Volvo was reduced to frame and springs..

[Red9zero]

Scrump said:

The MOT testers manual (previously linked) says no need to test seatbelts where there is no seat fitted. Section 7.1

My old Mini (proper one) had the rear seat removed and the area carpeted and the rear seat belts removed. The MoT tester said as the carpet could be classed as a seat, the seat belts needed to go back in. Then, as the seat belts were in, a proper seat was needed. I found a new MoT station.

[toerag]

I removed the seats, it still failed, though not for the seat belts there is a hole in the offside driveshaft boot LOL. The tester did remark for a 196,000 mile car it's in really good nick so perhaps it will continue to be easy on the pocket next year.

I have no idea on the seat belts, if I pull them out all the way they are both almost sliced all the way through, perhaps a mechanical fault or a previous owner had some feral children.

[Little Pete]

Red9zero said:

My old Mini (proper one) had the rear seat removed and the area carpeted and the rear seat belts removed. The MoT tester said as the carpet could be classed as a seat, the seat belts needed to go back in. Then, as the seat belts were in, a proper seat was needed. I found a new MoT station.

I don’t blame you. What a moron