Around £1.5million vehicles fail their annual MOT. However, what’s even more shocking is the fact that they fail on the littlest things that more often than not, the motor owner can sort out themselves if they just pay a little more time and attention to their vehicles.

To avoid falling into this statistic, we’re going to run through some easy checks you can do to make sure you stand the best chance possible of getting the green light and passing your MOT!

The five minute challenge

Save yourself time and money by carrying out a few checks that should take around five minutes, before you book your car in for it’s MOT.

The checks include:

Wheels and tyres

Have a quick walk around the vehicle and inspect the state of the wheels and tyres. Tyre tread should be a minimum of 1.6mm and if your tread is anything less than this, it will definitely fail the MOT.

Seats and seatbelts

Move the driver’s seat forwards and backwards, making sure it locks in place securely. Then look at the state of the length of the seat belt and pull down on it firmly to make sure it locks like it is supposed to.

Headlights and indicators

Put all possible lights on, including left and right indicators, hazard warning lights, headlights, rear lights and side lights. Walk around the vehicle again and make sure they are all on and working and that no bulbs need replacing.

When testing the brake lights, you will need an extra pair of eyes. Ask a family member, neighbour or friend to stand at the back of your car and tell you if the lights come on when you press down on the brake pedal. If there is nobody around to help you with this, then reverse your car as close as possible to a reflective surface, such as a window. This way, you will be able to look back and see if the lights come on in the reflection of the glass.

Windscreen and windscreen wipers

Any visible damage to the front windscreen that is bigger than 40mm will result in a fail, so you should repair these prior to the MOT. You should also check that all windscreen wipers are fully functional without any holes, and clear your windows without leaving smears and smudges.

Fluids (screenwash, fuel and engine oil)

Top-up the screenwash bottle so there is enough fluid to test it.

Your car should also be filled with sufficient fuel and engine oil levels, so that certain tests on emission levels can be carried out.

Although it may not seem important, it is recommended that you clean the inside and outside of your car. Things such as dirty windows and loose objects rattling around the floor are dangerous and hazardous driving conditions.

Universal Tyres

If your car is more than three years old, then it requires an annual MOT check. Here at Universal Tyres, our trained mechanics carry out thorough MOTs on a broad range of vehicles, at competitive prices. Please get in touch with us today for more information or to book your vehicle in.