Can you MOT a car before its 3 years old?

[Brydo666]

I put down a deposit on a used car today, a Toyota Auris.

The car is 2007 registered and won't be three years old until later on this year. Part of the deal was that I pre-paid for two MOT's and two services.

The chap told me that before I collect the car they will run it through an MOT and a service and that won't be used from my prepaid quota. Then I just thought - if they can't MOT the car until its three years old then I'll need to cover that when the time comes later on this year.

Is it possible for them to do it now? Because I'll not accept it unless I get the certificate with it to avoid me covering it later on this year.

Cheers

[Pegasus]

Can you MOT a car before its 3 years old?

You can put a motor vehicle through an MOT test (which isn't worth a wank BTW) as many times as you like, but the law is quite plain in this case - NO motor vehicle designated for use in the EU will require any kind of test until it is 3 years old FROM THE DATE OF REGISTRATION.

To get a definitive answer of where you stand however, we would need to see a copy of the agreement you made with the dealer or a "verbatim" copy of said agreement before anybody could give you advice as to where you stand legally.

[JonEp]

You can and I always have to do it a month or so before the three years is up before returning my company car to the lease company as they like to sell them with all the paper work.

Its a funny rule because with an older car if you get a MOT a month earlier than the date of expiry of the previous MOT you get 13 months on the new MOT certificate.

But with a new car the first MOT will run out 12 months after the test. Well at least that's my experience.

[maltloaf]

you can mot a car anytime. I seem to remember reading somewhere that some authorities require taxi's to be MOT'd from new too.

[Pegasus]

you can mot a car anytime. I seem to remember reading somewhere that some authorities require taxi's to be MOT'd from new too.

They go through a slightly stricter test than the standard MOT mate, in fact I'd go so far as to say that the extra regs applied for a hackney carriage should be part of the MOT test as standard.

[the.insane]

my taxi is a 55 plate TXII and it gets tested every 4 months, and still they find a catalogue of faults, so the test just tell you the condition of the vehicle at the time of the test.

You could pass your MOT test, drive out of the garage and have an accident, that doesnt mean you car is roadworthy for a year.

[Brydo666]

You could pass your MOT test, drive out of the garage and have an accident, that doesnt mean you car is roadworthy for a year.

I always thought that too.

Thanks for the replies folks. I'll get him to confirm that whenever the MOT may be, that the first one should it be due soon that my additional ones paid for won't cover it.

[x_Mr_C_x]

You can and I always have to do it a month or so before the three years is up before returning my company car to the lease company as they like to sell them with all the paper work.

Its a funny rule because with an older car if you get a MOT a month earlier than the date of expiry of the previous MOT you get 13 months on the new MOT certificate.

But with a new car the first MOT will run out 12 months after the test. Well at least that's my experience.

I don't think that is correct. My car is 3 years old on April 1st 2010 I had its first MOT done on March 4th 2010 and it is valid until March 31 2011.

[Little John]

You can have an MOT done anytime but if you want it to take in to account the annual birthday of the car you can only have it done up to 28 days before its birthday, as Mr C said he had his 1st April car done on the 4th March wich is within the 28 days so it is valid till the cars birthday If he had had it done before the 28 days so the 2nd March then he would have lost the gain and it would then expire the following year on the 1st March.

[Brydo666]

You can have an MOT done anytime but if you want it to take in to account the annual birthday of the car you can only have it done up to 28 days before its birthday, as Mr C said he had his 1st April car done on the 4th March wich is within the 28 days so it is valid till the cars birthday If he had had it done before the 28 days so the 2nd March then he would have lost the gain and it would then expire the following year on the 1st March.

Spot on, thanks for clearing that up.