Without a car in the US, you are basically exiled from society. So hurdles from driving - like requiring actual skill or roadwoarthy cars - may not exist, no matter how many people die over it.
It's the "freedom" mindset, they think that it goes against their personal freedoms if the government imposes a mandatory annual inspection or starts putting limits to what vehicle owners can do to their vehicles.
@@walkir2662 That's not a valid explanation. The majority of people in Europe also depend on their cars to make a living. And it's precisely because car transport is so ubiquitous that road/vehicle safety is of utmost importance.
One of the best things about the MOT in recent years is that all the results including advisories(warnings about areas of concern) are online so if you are buying a second hand car you can see its whole history of fails/issues and even its annual mileage before you even go to look at it
That's a very good point, just knowing your own car is good to go is great, but in America it seems, whether other drivers are in safe vehicles or not, is a complete mystery!
@matwinchest3r Faults happen despite MOT`s though, there can be material fatigue or the vehicle can be damaged by unseen hazards, extreme weather can cause electrical fault while driving, et cetera.. "fun" fact, I once almost got hit by a bus in Oslo because I got a chestnut in my face, it almost stuck to my forehead and for a split second, I though I`d been hit with something a lot worse, because it came out of nowhere and I was paying attention to the road and not the trees, which is generally what you *should do* 😋
The most basic difference in attitude between the US and just about everywhere else, is that Americans value individual "freedoms" whereas elsewhere communal responsibility is equally important. Hence, "It's MY car, none of your business" on one hand; "It's on public roads and can harm other users if dangerous" on the other. 🤔
It varies from state to state. California has the strictest emission norms in the world. That's also where VW got busted cheating (VW diesel scandal). Here in Germany cars have to undergo inspection every 2 years. The testing organization is pushing to make that an annual test too. Meanwhile the emissions test is becoming stricter in the middle of this year too. And the EU wants to prohibit repairs on old vehicles ("residual vehicles"/15 years old). Almost noone is buying electric cars, because it's a really bad proposition, so the politicians want to leave us with no choice, but to switch to EVs. Even current ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles report your driving data to insurers. Cars that don't snitch on you are disappearing. Parts availability and their reliability is down. Everything is just getting worse.
@@NafanyaZX Sure, but emissions doesn't make your car a rolling death machine to other people. Terrible emissions might take a few years off of the nearby population in total. But a wheel falling off can result in multiple deaths in a very short time span. Like this event: th-cam.com/video/EOosn78WsMg/w-d-xo.html That's stuff you expect to see in Russian dashcams or from some other run down country with a GDP/capita of two loaves of bread. Not from the richest country in the world. And there's no way that pickup would have passed an annual inspection in civilized countries.
"Just rolled in" and "Customer states" channels show hundreds of cars which are death traps! They are quite funny but also insane for the hassle I am glad we have MOT's here.
The difference in attitude between the Americans and most of the Western world is that Americans see driving as a right, the rest of us see it as a privilege and our authorities see that too. 1.5 tonnes of steel is not a laughing matter when unable to steer, stop or trap its occupants in a fire. I'm always amazed that in the most litigious country in the world is so lax on responsibility to others on the road. It does however produce great car crash videos for us to watch.
Europeans seem to focus on driving coming with responsibility, while in the US it's more of a competition and the bulkiest wins (victim shaming included)!
Watch any dashcam compliation ever and it's pretty much the same deal. UK - Oh no someone came to a stop on a motorway, you hear the ABS, the guy behind maybe slightly bumps the camera guy's rear bumper. US - Oh no someone came to a stop on an interstate, tyres squealing, some rusty mess comes flying into the camera car at 90mph followed by 10 other cars all slamming into each other. In the US... How many people have bald tyres? How many people still lack ABS? How many people lack colission warnings/AEB? Nevermind the lack of headlight aim testing and every other person driving around with their high beam on or a giant light bar. At least from my perspective as a Brit, the US feels like the wild west. Basically do whatever you want and hope and pray you live.
Hey Ian In Poland 🇵🇱 such test are normal too. In case any problem while the inspection you get two weeks to fix all issues. You are not allowed to drive your car without the inspection- if police catch you you won’t be allowed to drive - car would be taken to the police car park. In case you your car wouldn’t have a valid inspection and you would have a car accident- your insurance company would refuse to pay. And yes such inspections are something normal across whole Europe not only EU
Interesting to hear the thing about the two weeks in Poland Just over the border, in Lithuania for most things, if its not a critical fault (like your suspension is about to go through the rusty towers or the engine is basically falling out), you would get a pass with an "advisory", where if the next time the police sees you, they can (but are not required to) check if that advisory has been fixed, if not the inspection gets invalidated also, another country dependent tidbit, similar tests in eu (MOT-UK, APK-NL, TA-LT, TUV-DE or the Polish Badanie Techniczne) have differing periods for inspection between countres, and also types of vehicles for most of the countries as well.
@@ChR0nos_7734 I do my MOT a month before it expires, just in case there's something that needs fixing and my mechanic's waiting times can go beyond 3 weeks
In France you have to do the "technical inspection" once every two years. If you have not done so, you pay a fine of 135 Euros. And to sell/buy a vehicle it is the seller who must prove a technical inspection who has less than 6 months before the sale. If it's really "I don't care about the regulations" (for example not done for 10 years) the police can withdraw your "vehicle registration card" and therefore prohibit you from driving .
In Serbia is call "technical inspection" and is every year .I thing is a week 2 fix issues if you fail ,if you dont then you need to pay it again . But what i hate in Serbia is that i need to take to inspection also my camper caravan every year ,And test is like brutal for my car and caravan and takes whole hour so i really hate it , had few times damage on caravan because off test ,and for something that just sits 99.99% off time ,maybe use it 3-4 times a year. Also my hobby caravan dont have reverse light from factory and few years ago i failed test because i dont have reverse light and they sad from that year i must have ,so i had to modify caravan to install it which i really hate it
we have the same as MOT all over Europe, it’s not just the UK . In Spain it’s after 4 years / second 6 years after that it’s every year and we have to go to a special ITV (MOT) centre.
If you think the UK MOT test is strigent, the German TÜV is even stricter and the Japanese equivalent of an MOT test is called the shaken. It's a mandatory inspection for all vehicles in Japan that must be carried out every two years. The inspection ensures that vehicles are safe to drive and are properly maintained. It's so strict that enough cars fail that they are exported to the UK (they are RHD) and sold.
Netherlands: APK, periodic vehicle inspection. Periodic = annual. Done by a licensed garage, who reports to the Department for Transportation. If you don’t have this done, your car gets reported, and you might get stopped by the police. But worse than the fine, is that your insurance gets suspended… Driving while uninsured gets you in trouble, on a whole different level.
If the car Fails the test the car is not street legal any more until you fix it. You can´t even park it on pubic streets. The RDW ( Department for Transportation. ) will check the garage if there is suspision, the garage can lose there license. You only pay one's fail fix it Pass your good too Go
In Croatia Different types of vehicles are subject to regular technical inspection at different intervals according to the following table: New vehicles: 2 years (24 months) after the first registration of the vehicle, and then every 12 months. New vehicles are considered to be vehicles that are not registered, have not been in circulation and are not older than 1 year (12 months), and refer to motor vehicles and trailers with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 3500 kg, new motor vehicles for the transport of persons that, in addition to the driver's seat, have more than eight seats, new ambulances and new taxi vehicles, regardless of whether they are new or used: every 12 months. Used vehicles: every 12 months. Light trailers: after the first registration, every 36 months. *** Heavily exploited groups of vehicles are subject to preventive technical inspections at intervals depending on their age. The groups of vehicles subject to preventive inspections are: Vehicles for rent (rent a car vehicles), Vehicles used for training candidates for drivers (driving schools), Vehicles used for taxi transport, Ambulance vehicles, Buses, Cargo and trailer vehicles for the transport of dangerous goods, Cargo and trailer vehicles with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 7,500 kg. The periods in which the above-mentioned vehicles must undergo preventive inspections are: Vehicles older than six to ten years of age, every 6 months from the date of the regular or preventive technical inspection Vehicles older than ten years, every 3 months from the date of the regular or preventive technical inspection.
@MINKIN2 Or Ford uses a capless easyfuel system so it has anti syphon and only certain funnels designed for it can get past the mechanism so it has no lock on it as they put the faith in the anti syphon
I had a lock on the fuel cap (with a separate key) of my old Volvo Amazon from -68. It was my first car in the late 80's. After that I had mostly cars with central locking system, which always included a lock on the lid over the fuel cap (without a separate key).
but be wary of the fraudsters mot centers, esp those what offer pay in installments. my dad went to garage to get work done you can pay monthly over period time but they also did MOT they did £500 worth work the next year they failed him on same thing a fix what should last around 5 years, lucky my dad still had time left on old MOT and took it to my mechanic and he took it to the MOT center i went too and it was fine. a lot fraudsters who make up extra work because they can, it entrapment and most time its pay monthly so most people just say fix it. do not go to garages what offer pay monthly esp if the do MOT too. saying that my dad after few years realized these people robbing him and he never return no matter if he low on funds. and my old car i just upgraded to newer one but to say my MOT were good my old car was 13 years old when i sold it and it month from an MOT, the five MOT i got the car was a clean pass every time, the garage i sold car too it only had two minor one was cracking tyre but as getting rid car i put that off as still legal tread and brake pipe a bit grease or something near a connector but been over 4 years before had work done on that area so it was due to be looked at so the place my car was taken for the MOT was a good one, 5.5 years ownership a clean pass every time and i always say to my local mechanic i only want a clean pass, if in doubt fix it before you take it so have a look look and get the car ready for clean pass, he dose a good job now got newer shape of same car he now got new challenge i only want clean pass and plan to keep car a very long time, next one be first i do and 9 years old so i got sneaky suspicion suspension is prob not far off needing attention, it feels good but getting to that age where i might but it has full service dealership history so that may help, its that and or disks and pads as bit hard driving a day drive through wales i got fade after fast road and a lot sharp corners so maybe set pads.
@@andrewwaller5913 ‘You only need a partial retest if you leave the vehicle at the test centre for repair and it’s retested within 10 working days. There’s no fee for this’ , .GOV
I worked for a manufacturer of vehicle inspection equipment for the last 23 years (I recently retired). Here in Europe, but also in countries in the Far East and the UAE, the items to be checked differ from country to country and per vehicle type (cars, HGV's, Trailers, motorcycles, etc). Also the pass/fail criteria are different per country and vehicle type. The hardware used for inspections (roller beds, emission testers, etc) is the same, but the software is always country-specific. Here in the Netherlands the general condition of vehicles is much better since mandatory annual inspections were introduced way back when. You never see a complete wreck driving on the road.
The lack of a proper driving test and car tests is unbelievable in such a car centric population. From watching lots and lots of American TH-cam videos 95% of Americans would not pass a European driving test and 90% of their cars would fail an mot/EU equivalent. The majority of Americans would have to go back to horses to get around.
In Germany it's colloquially called TÜV, but really there are - Hauptuntersuchung (HU) and - Abgasuntersuchung (AU), which can be performed by TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein) or DEKRA
15:10 It is £55 just to make sure the car is safe for the road. However we still have vehicle tax that we pay every year, and that can be anything from £0 to £500+ depending on the year and emissions rating of the car.
Its not even £55 for a test, maybe thats a england thing, its £30 lol i just had mine 2 months ago. Keep in mind we pay a lot less for insurance in the uk too, like i pay £500 per year and £30 for my tax. Ive spoken to americans who were paying $500 PER MONTH lol. Americans even with years without accidents pay as much as 17 year olds in the uk by standard.
@@WookieWarriorz £54.85 is the maximum a garage can charge for an MOT on a car, however if the garage decides to charge you less then its up to them… some will charge less if its combined with an annual service or part of a service plan.
I saw videos of American repair shops ("Costumer states...") on youtube and what we can see sometimes is ... mindblowing. You've got cars with holes, literally holes because of rust in the châssis or even in pieces attached to suspension !
The US has the freedom to drive and keep their vehicle how they like, UK has the freedom not to die in an unsafe death trap (or be killed by someone else's), I would rather be safe than and have this minor inconvenience each year. Also if its a minor issue that is not going to fail, you may get and "Advisory" which is saying that it has passed but we advise you to get new brake pads before next test or your tyres have enough tread but will soon be too low etc. As so many garages have MOT services you also ask around and find a garage where they won't rip you off for minor issues.
UK Council MOT centres are used by many public services and can also be used for a private car MOT. You pay the price of the MOT (you don't get discount prices for these MOTs) and that's it. They have no vested interest in 'finding faults' that require additional work, because they don't do any kinds of repairs. Also, I've never known of a car not being allowed to be taken home by the owner in the event of a fail (so if this does happen, it must be something pretty major wrong with the car). I've had a couple of failures over the years and been able to take my car home or to my local mechanic and come back within a certain time, with everything fixed and they issue a Certificate.
In germany we have the TÜV (the acronym stands for Technical Surveillance Society). They not only do car checks, but pretty much all technical installations you can imagine, from rollercoasters to nuclear power plants. You can make an appointment directly with them at their subsidiaries and have your car back within 30-60 minutes or bring it to a garage where a tester will come by. You choose the garage when you suspect that work is needed so it can be done beforehand. The check is mandatory for new cars 3 years after registration, after that every 2 years since your last check. Sellers of used cars usually take the test (even if it wasn't really due) to prove that the car is in good shape.
In regards to fuel caps, yes most cars here have a lock on them (the inner cap, not the outer panel that hides it). It's not a common crime, but it prevents someone from coming along and siphoning out your fuel. One important thing to remember about an MOT is that the tester is not allowed to remove anything. This means that if you have covers over certain components, they won't be checked (but the fact that they were covered will likely be recorded on the report)
Also if you shop around, you can usually get the MOT done for about £30 on a standard car. My last one was actually free with a year's membership to Halfords (mechanic/retail chain), which also gives me 5% off everything I buy there (including MOT/servicing) and free next-day delivery.
@@la-go-xy I'll be honest, my newest car doesn't require you to leave the key in the cap, and I have driven away with the cap open twice. I blame the self-service pumps and ADHD 🤣 (Thankfully, I was flagged down by other drivers in both instances before I got too far)
The problem is fule theft is a thing here due to high fule prices so a lot of cars have a lock on the fule cap and it's not always the same key as the doors or ignition
American cars also have locking fuel fillers. We used to run stretched Lincoln and Hummer H2 limos. The Lincolns had a fuel flap release inside the car, and the Hummers had key locks on the caps, so he should not be surprised that they exist. One thing I haven't seen on any of the US mechanics' channels I have watched is locking wheel nuts. They are almost universal on alloy wheels here in the UK, but don't seem to be a thing in the US.
Yes you are allowed to install a louder exhaust on your car but there are noise limits that they need to comply with, There are even special cameras that have recently been introduced that measure the noise levels coming from your car and if it exceeds the limit they'll send you a fine in the post
Exhaust/engine noise is a judgement call by the tester.. there's no hard dB limit.. as long as they don't think it's totally obnoxious.. (Exhaust noise from the vehicle must not be unreasonably above the noise level you’d expect from a similar vehicle) Motorcycle testers let you get away with murder.. 😁
Diesel smoke tests involve accelerating the engine up to its maximum speed briefly, up to six times, if it doesn't pass on the first acceleration, to measure opacity of exhaust smoke. This is why poorly maintained engines are at risk during the test. As a retired mechanic in the UK, I am horrified to see the condition of some of the cars which Americans are prepared (and allowed by the authorities) to drive on the roads, putting themselves and other road users in danger, all in the name of "freedom". MOT centres will not stop you driving away. If the car fails on a dangerous defect, you are not permitted to drive it on the road, so to comply with the law, you must either have it repaired before you take it away, or have it recovered to somewhere else for repairs, but they will not physically stop you. If it's not classed as dangerous, you can take it to a repairer, then back to a test centre for retesting.
Yes, I follow a channel called Bus Grease Monkey and it seems like the majority of buses they get in for repair have serious safety defects through years of neglect.
In Serbia there is emission test also every year since forever but also forever its just informative so you cant fail test because off emissions so many take DPF out but risk that maybe next year they will fail ,but they just prolong every year because they know that half off cars would fail the test
In Greece we have something similar to this, it called K.T.E.O. If i translate it to English the name is like "center of technical inspection of vehicles". Can be Public or Private. You must pass every two years the general technical inspection and every year the emissions test. The timing of this video was perfect, tomorrow i must take my car to go for the technical inspection! 😁
In Serbia is every year and i hate it becase i have 5 cars and caravan ,so 6 times a year have to go Tests are recorded with cameras but if you are good with people who work there they have their tricks to fool the test becase off little older cars its very hard to pass
If the car fails, the MOT testing centre will let you take your car to a garage of your choice. If you represent the car within 7 days the second test is free. Most people get their car serviced before hand to avoid failing.
Bit more complicated than that, the official on .gov is if it stays at the test centre and repaired and retested within 10 days then the partial retest is free, if you take it away and have certain repairs (list is on .gov) done and submit it to the same test centre before the end of the next day again the partial retest is free, but if it’s taken away for repairs the submitted within 10 days then there’s a partial charge. Outside of that that it’s full charge.
It's worth noting that in England, Scotland and Wales, the testing is done by authorised independent businesses that aren't part of the government, but in Northern Ireland you have to use a government run inspection centre. The NI centres have a nasty backlog at the moment as there aren't enough of them.
15:32 In the UK the numberplate stays with the car so unless it gets a custom plate it'll have the same one from new until scrapped. We also don't register a vehicle like that, we just notify of change of ownership once which is free.
You can have advisories for work which is needed but that does not constitute a fail but if the vehicle fails on one item, that is still a fail. I always have my MOT test several days before it is due just in case the car fails and needs work so I can get that done before the previous MOT expires.
The main rust check is to ensure there is no serious corrosion within 12 inches of a mounting point for suspension or steering components, or any other component that could compromise safety,
Rule of thumb is that, if you can stick a screwdriver through it, it's excessive corrosion. If it's within 30cm of a mounting point for steering, suspension, seats or seat belts, it's a failure.
At least in Finland your cars paperwork has the tyre size on it. If you put bigger wheels and tyres on your car you should go to the Tuv station and get your car inspected and pay the fee for altering the cars papers to have a extra note that it has been permitted to run those rims. Same thing if you put coilovers on your car.
It is indeed remarkable that the United States does not have uniform periodic vehicle inspections like Europe, where mandatory checks are in place. In the U.S., whether inspections are required at all depends on the state, and the scope of these inspections varies significantly. Some states only conduct emissions testing, while others check both the technical condition of the vehicle and its emissions. This lack of a national standard can lead to differences in safety and environmental impact. In Europe, periodic inspections are seen as an important measure to prevent traffic accidents and reduce environmental impact, whereas in the U.S., much of the responsibility is placed on vehicle owners and the market. This approach does have its advantages. For example, it saves costs for vehicle owners in states where inspections are not required, but it also raises questions about whether this negatively affects road safety or air quality. This can be especially risky for older vehicles. It remains a fascinating policy difference between two parts of the world!
one of the best things about the MOT and buying second hand cars is that you can look up the MOT history of a car before buying it. Some things that let you pass an MOT but get flagged as an "Advisory" meaning they could become a problem in the future. All of that info shows up when you look up the car history on the government website so you can see how the car has been looked after even if you don't know how to maintain cars yourself
In Northern Ireland we do the test annually after the car reaches 4 years of age, the difference from the mainland UK is that we have to go to government centres (which currently have a 6 month backlog) and not private garages. They'll do an emissions check on petrol cars (NI MOT centres don't have the equipment to do emissions on diesel ones, although afaik the centre in Omagh is testing a machine that can), check your lights are working and aligned properly, check your brakes function correctly and do a visual check of the cars suspension and tires. If you fail the test you can usually drive home and to a pre-arranged appointment with a garage to get the car repaired unless something is seriously wrong at what point the car can be prohibited and can not go on the road for any reason until it's sorted and retested. The test is cheap, £35 and if you fail you can book a retest where they will only test the thing it failed on which is £18.50 (at least it was the last time I failed a test in 2018) but there's a timeframe that it needs to back within and if you take longer it's a full retest and you have to pay the full fee again. It can also wipe a lot of value off your car if you try and sell the car with a short or no MOT certificate, it's not uncommon for people to test the car before selling if it's short to increase the value. MOT can be a bit of a pain to deal with but I'd rather go through that and know that the other cars around me are not likely to be complete deathtraps than have the situation in the US where anything goes (Just Rolled In really opened my eyes to how dodgy some US cars actually are) Edit: 14:23 the image shown is also one of the NI test centres. We aren't required to renew a sticker for our cars per say as we used to display a paper tax disc in the windshield but that was done away with in 2015 as it's all digital now, price is dependant on when the car was registered and what emissions it puts out, my late 2006 Jaguar XK for instance is £771 a year ($940USD) as it falls into the highest tax band for its time.
In the UK the police everywhere have access to a national database of car tax, vehicle insurance and current MOT certificate. They also know if you don't hold a current driving licence. Miss out on some of these, and they can punish you, maybe impound the vehicle and even send it to be crushed, depending on what they find. ANPR equipment at some roadside locations, and inside many police cars catch these lawbreakers.
There are NO negatives to having an annual legally required test like the MOT. AFAIK the USA is the major outlier in this (there maybe more countries). This week, my car would have failed the TPMS part of the MOT but I had the garage perform a pre-MOT check as part of my annual service. That way there are no surprises at the actual test. The garage will advise you what needs to be fixed and the cost which gives you the opportunity not to have any further work carried out! If your current MOT is valid you can then drive your car away. BUT you will not be able to legally drive on the road after the current MOT lapses. (I had the TPMS fixed 🙂) I also got an cautionary notice about cracking in the tyres which, although not sufficient to fail the test, is an issue which needs to be addressed.
If implementing an MOT would mean that I’m not allowed to drive my modded Subie with aftermarket exhaust, turbo, aero, ECU, etc., then that sounds like a pretty big negative to me.
@benedekhalda-kiss9737 I agree with you on paper but all the regulations in the world would not be sufficient to prevent 350 credit score Altima owners from driving like dipshits. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in an Altima.
Being a Brit who has driven across Europe and the US the worse thing about being on US roads is how many tyre carcasses on the side of the road and how clearly broken some cars in front or behind you are. It does leave you nervous!
Here in Denmark we also have inspections. Frequency depend lf which vehicle. A normal car or a cargo van will have first inspection 4 years after purchase and then every 2 years after that. Busses and semitrucks and other large vehicles have annual inspections. These inspections are done in order to make it safer for everyone.
here in denmark its also 4 years before its first inspection. after that its every 2 years. price is about the same for the inspection too. it need to be a critical error if not allowed on the road if failed. surface rust is allowed but not rusted structural parts. normal errors give you 30 days to fix it and only allowed to travel between your place. the mechanic and inspection. usually dont have to pay for a second inspection just come in so they can see its fixed. i think the inspections is a nice thing. not only for safety but also to spot things before they get really expensive to fix. he forgot to mention the age of the tires also matter. if i remember right then they fail if more than 5 years old. pretty wild america dont care about the cars safety on the roads.
America doesn't care about it's people just look at the recent government failings so this is no surprise it's like a third world country with guns 😂😂😂
My car is 20 years old and is still in very good nick, under 100k miles and have absolutely no warning lights unless somethings wrong (which isn’t often). Very proud of it but I always anticipate a failed MOT the first time around because of the age and there’s always something that needs fixing that I can’t do. I don’t mind though cause it’s done me well
Sounds like a lot of the cars in the US are not roadworthy and would fail basic condition here in the UK . sounds dangerous how can this be allowed its insane . Motorcycles have to have the BSA stamp on the silencer which is an approved stamp , a lot get away with this by keeping the original silencers and swapping them out , but if found changed in an accident then insurance can be a problem as it's been altered standard , if the insurance company is not notified of any mods then you insurance is void .
Usually the retest after fixing any issues is free. Mostly the fails are going to be tyres, brakes and wipers. The MOT results come with a list of Pass/Warning/Fails. Warnings normally mean "get this fixed before next year".
Inspection is what the mechanics/garages offer. the certificate is not from them. However, (in Germany at least) garages often arrange to schedule a certification at the end of a maintenance, when they have an authorozed official come to look at several cars. Since the maintenance inspection is optional it generates some customers and for them it helps keep the timeline if anything has to be fixed.
We have it here too (Greece), it's called *KTEO* the acronym for _Centre for Technical Inspection of Vehicles_ and every passenger vehicle is required to undergo inspection. In fact we, the owners of the car, receive a text message and an e-mail when the time for the inspection approaches. The non-complying penalty starts from a hefty fine up to the confiscation of the vehicle!
Vehicle Inspections are so important and i feel quite a few Americans (at least in TH-cam Comment Sections or Videos) constantly complain about how unreliable this and that Car is because they don't have something like the "TÜV" (from here in Germany) or what they do in the UK. When you are forced to have your Car checked and repaired (even tiny Things or Things that could go wrong in the Future) you will hardly have any Reliability Issues with your Car. This is also why somehow Cars that are in the Top 20 of most unreliable Cars in the USA, are somehow in the Top 10 of most reliable Cars. Good Examples would be BMW which somehow always break in the USA, but over here are considered one of the most reliable Brands by the TÜV themselves by the Way. So i guess that the Brands that are considered unreliable in the USA are only unreliable because the Owners are not forced to take proper Care of them and get them checked regularly. So Brands like Toyota (which are also considered reliable over here) are considered very reliable in the USA, because you can treat them like Trash and never take Care of them at all until they break Prost & Cheers from the Snow-Covered Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
@11:20 yes you are allowed an aftermarket exhaust but its pretty much down to the tester to decide if it is too loud for the vehicle. If you have a friendly tester you can pass with a straight pipe and no cat haha. Tyres and wheels can't protrude past the bodywork, so just put some extra wide arches on to cover your wheels ;)
It's not just the UK. These inepections are the norm all across the developed world. The US is the odd one out and akin to a third-world country. Same when it comes to the test to obtain a driving license. Mind-boggling tbh. No wonder the US car accident/death rate is off the charts.
The ridiculous thing is, USA has some of the tightest rules for manufacturers on car specifications but once the vehicle has left the showroom, anything goes!
The key for the fuel cap depends on car/model/year. For example Peugeot 206 or any other cars before 2010 to open and fill you need to get the ignition key and open the cap, now some model doesn't need keys to open the cap
In croatia we have a central organization for vehicle inspections with inspection stations all over the country. Every vehicle goes through yearly inspection. One recent innovation in the last few years is that finally brand new vehicles don't have to be inspected in the first two years. Previously even brand new vehicles from a dealer had to go through inspection. Another thing, there are ways to cheat the tests, esp. in more rural areas where people know each other or the technicians are more likely to take a small token of gratitude to turn a blind eye on some smaller issues with older cars (eg bad windshield nozzles, reverse light, etc). They used to cheat a lot on emissions testing too, but with everything being recorded on computers and employees having digital badges, it's getting less common. Although they will let you warm up the engine for quite a long time until they get a good rating.
I book my car in for its annual service and MOT on the same day. So effectively the garage checks the state of the car, fixes what needs fixing, then does the formal MOT test at the point when everything should be fixed already. You can have "advisories" on the test, basically meaning that your car passed but there are things that will definitely need to be addressed in the not too distant future, and certainly before the next test: for example, tyres will need replacing pretty soon.
I'm not disputing that you've had success doing this, but a freshly serviced car can still fail an MOT test. Many service items are not part of the test, and many parts of the test are not covered during a regular service. Granted, a conscientious garage wouldn't waste your time with a oil & filter change if they knew the car would fail for structural issues. I'm just saying you cannot absolutely rely on this method.
@@mitus85 The service is done by the same place as the MOT. They look out for all the MOT criteria and fix anything that needs fixing, then retest. It takes up to half a day. Just more efficient from my point of view to have it all done at the same place and same time, literally five minutes walk from my house.
@missharry5727 I understand the procedure and it's great that you have a reputable garage so close by. What I was getting at is that service items such as oil & filter, air filter, pollen filter, antifreeze, brake fluid, spark plugs (petrol) or fuel filter (diesel) are not actually part of the mot test. What you're referring to as a "service" sounds more like an inspection to me. Not trying to be awkward, just trying to differentiate between 2 different things. A completely unserviced & unloved car can still pass an mot test - trust me I know 😂
@mitus85 no, it includes all the items you list as a regular service like filters, plus an MOT. It means I only have to be without the car for one day rather than two.
Testing your seatbelts is fairly easy 1. Pull it all the way out checking it runs freely and inspecting for rips or fraying. 2. Yank firmly to check the inertia reel locks as it should under sudden force and releases afterwards. 3. Lock the belt in and jerk and wiggle it to ensure its locked in properly then check it releases afterwards. 4. Check all attachment points for signs of damage and that height adjustment works smoothly and locks if fitted. I did a similar six monthly test for light vehicles in the army if you have the checklist and some mechanical expertise its fairly easy.
14:20 the keyword is Drive. They are not allowed to let the failed car Drive away. So either have it fixed at the test center or have it towed/loaded up and have it fixed off site.
The rust is generally about the structural components, e.g. where suspension attaches or parts of the chassis etc. Surface rust on a door etc is not the issue
We had a Toyota Prius hybrid for three years (in London UK) and had the catalytic converter stolen four times. It was a big push for us to get our electric car.
We have the same tests in Sweden and this is why we drive around in safe cars and keep the cars in a good condition. And i know that the car behind me at least have brakes!!! The cars you often see in US would got a forbidden to drive on the road sticker on the windscreen immediately it rolled in. Whe have 3 stages of wrongs, 1. Good to know if a part is near to be bad, 2. You have to fix the faulty part within a month and do the tests on just that part, and 3. Forbidden to drive the car, they don't keep the car but you have to fix it and do the test again before you can drive it. I sometimes watch Just Rolled In and it's insane to see the shit boxes that rolls in at the shops in US!! And the thing you said about buying a used car at say craigslist or similar, it's a good thing to know there is test to check out and you can easily check if a car passed the test or not, you only need the registration number. If you buy from a dealer the car must have passed the test before they can sell it to you.
In Belgium it's called "Technische Keuring" (=Technical Inspection) and isn't required for the first 4 years of a new car, then every 2 years until your car is a certain age or had a certain amount of kilometers, then it's every year again. It's around 40€ (thought it was 43 last time I went). Your inspection date is the day you register your car... you can go from 2 months before this date till the day before. Here the inspection is only to inspect, if it doesn't pass inspection it says on the inspection paper what's wrong with it and with that you have to go to your garage to have it fixed and present you car again for inspection within 2 weeks. For the re-inspection you don't pay full price. I had to go back in 2023 for a light that wasn't working and I know it was a lot less that I payed but I can't remember how much I payed. If something major is wrong, not sure what that is because I never had that happen, you get a red inspection paper and you aren't allowed on the road anymore -> so I'm guessing not even to drive home... then you have 2 months to present your car for inspection again. They did just pass a law that for some minor things like a light that doesn't work, instead of going back to the Inspection after having it fixed, your garage's OK would be enough (if they have the right certifications). But I'm not sure how this will work yet. You also have to have an Inspection when you sell your car. By law a 2nd hand car has to have that Inspection paper with it before you can sell it.
Here in the Nethelands it's the same with the APK (Algemene peiodieke keuring), the first time after 4 years, then twice after 2 years and when a car is 8 years old you have the yearly check
In the Netherlands the inspection is done by a licensed garage. They can fix the problem (like a broken light) and then let it pass. It will have a note on the paper "passed after these repairs: " The garage can have a check as well. Someone from the department of motorvehicles can show up unannounced and checks the car as well. If something is wrong, for example the garage owner wrongly lets a car pass, he can get a huge fine or even lose his license.
Another note to add, once a car is 40 years old, you can register it as an 'historic vehicle', it is then exempt from having a yearly MOT. Although, you can, & a lot of people do still have the MOT done each year.
@@drcl7429it is not stupid, but it is concerning, consider the following ...... the miles covered by classic cars are very limited, most MOT inspectors don't understand older cars( lack of old technical knowledge, on board equipment and construction) they were cars their fathers knew, these cars are in the most part in good mechanical condition being cherished by their owners, they are driven conservatively. We know that when we pass these old jalopies will be scrapped as will be the cars which you now cherish.
11:13 I have some exhaust and intake mods and ECU/TCU tune on my Audi here in the UK. Generally it’s not a problem with the MOT unless you have have a decat pipe which increases the emissions. The only issue is when you have mods and you haven’t told your insurer, that is risky, but they dont check that info on MOT.
In Portugal its around 30€ and it's a annual inspection. If i recall, only the classic cars (if registered has a classic car) dont need to do the annual inspections
depending on the faults causing the failures you can drive the car, you can take your car home with you, you can fix the problems yourself or pay a garage to fix them, some mot testing garages will also fix the faults for a fee but others will not. You have 10 days (or until old certificate expires, whichever is sooner) to fix the problems after this time it is illegal to continue driving your car on the road. you have a maximum of 60 days to retest your car. In all cases if your previous mot certificate has already expired you can only drive the car if driving it to a testing station anything else is illegal.
I live in Iceland, one of the Nordic countries, where we have strict rules about the condition of the vehicles allowed to be on our roads. The environmental (emission) part is incidental and disqualifying if found wanting, but the important bits are the safety features of the vehicles: Brakes, steering rods, suspension, seat belts and the general condition of the vehicle is under scrutiny. Bottom line: You will NEVER find unsafe rust buckets driving around on European roads! That may be the norm in 'Murica, but we Europeans have found that properly trained drivers AND properly functioning cars do wonders for road safety! Simple things like not toleration ANY fluid leaks, be it brake fluid, oil or fuel, will do wonders for the safety of your vehicle. You 'Muricans may not yet have figured this one out, but hopefully you will, within a generation or two. Maybe you will also figure out that a "well regulated" gun culture will do wonders for the acute lead poisoning epidemic that is plaguing 'Murican society these days, but that will probably take a number of decades for you slowpokes to figure out...
You also need an mot cert. In order to get insurance,which you need in order to your vehicle registration which can cost UpTo £450 the bigger the car engine .you can retest your car one month early so that if it fails you still have a valid certificate and you can take your car anywhere to fix it if you do it within two weeks the new test is free. Your seat belts should be in good condition not frayed no oil or grease on it and properly secured .
The MOT fails means your car is unsafe for you and every other road user, no MOT also invalidates your insurance so any accident will have the police come down on you for driving illegally and probably charge you. Really puts some of the horrific state the cars shown on the "Just rolled in" channel into context when you hear the customer declined repairs and drove away.
You can have rust on body panels etc but not on structural components. In Sweden at least you are always allowed to drive shortest possible way to a mechanic even if the car has completely failed inspection. The inspection usually takes maybe 20 min here. You have a time window every year to do it depending on when the car was registered. Otherwise it automatically gets a ban from the road until you do it. If its a minor problem its sometimes enough to fix it until next inspection. Else you have a month to fix it. A re-inspection after a fail is much cheaper. And they only check that part specifically.
We don't change number plates yearly but have to pay car tax depending on emissions. Could be 0 to probably £700 a year. If your car is older than 40 years, they become tax free and MOT exempt
I know in New Jersey up until 1999 ( that's when I moved out of state), they had an annual inspection that would check emissions, lights, horn, turn signals, tires, brakes, some times ball joints, and Ive seen some fail for broken tail lights and even rust . You also had to have it registered and insured before you go to inspection. This was standard, no matter the age of the vehicle. Now, all of this may have changed since I moved.
A sticker? The US uses stickers on the licenseplate in 2025? I haven't seen that in +20 years... We also pay roadtax every year, but that money goes to maintaining roads/infrastructure (and not sticker printing). When you fail an inspection overhere, ther are different levels and it has to be pretty bad to get an immediate driving ban. Usually you get 30-days to correct/repair and come back for re-inspection. During the 30-days you are only allowed to drive the shortest way to and from the workshop. That has to do with both safety but also insurance. You wont be covered by insurance if you get into an accident with a vehicle that has failed inspection. So I learned even more today about why America has so much of, what I call "shadow taxation". Because i believe you guys pay a lot, and I mean a lot to the insurance companies... In all forms of insurance matters.
In Finland we have a similar system, but in addition to the UK MOT we also have OBD readings taken, checking that no warning lights are burning and testing the suspension (bearings, play, shock absorbers) on an actual shaker. Brakes and e-brake/handbrake are tested on a dyno. Generally non structural surface rust is allowed, but rust compromising the structure is naturally not ok, this includes the car’s floor and sills. Some smaller shortcomings might leave an advisory, but will not fail an inspection, for example i had an advisory once on break lights being constantly on (an issue with the brake light switch). Note: this did not fail the inspection. Any ”larger” shortage will result in a fail, for example bad wheelbearings, play in suspension parts, an error light burning, uneven braking force outside allowable limits, and much much more. Here in Finland most fails will give you a month of extra driving time to get any issues fixed before a reinspection. The reinspection will only check the failed item/items. If the vehicle is deemed dangerous and unfit for the public road, no extra time is very possible, and driving is not allowed
you think the UK test is harsh, im British and now live in Switzerland, the MFK which is there version of the MOT is a NIGHTMARE, the car CAN fail if its dirty, inside or out, i have to have a new MFK for new brakes fitted or new wheels or any change to the vehicle, same goes for bikes. i have 2 motorbikes identical, but 1 is 2000 built and the other is 2001 BOTH are different on the test regulations. hell the bike can fail for a colour change or a sticker on the bodywork that wasnt done by the dealer or qualified garage. germany isnt much better with how they test vehicles, the inspection is like they do a full check for say a concourse Auction for a restoration. its mind blowing. in the USA you SHOULD have these tests, i would say MINIMUM 50% of the vehicles on the road would 100% fail and never be allowed to go on the roads ever again and be crushed. and Yes some cars have a Lock on the fuel filled cap either internal button or with your car key. this is to stop people stealing your fuel or people putting things in to set fire tot he car via the tank inlet
In Switzerland, their rationale for cars needing to be clean is that they say if the car is dirty, they cannot properly inspect it. They might simply refuse to carry out part of the checks and say come back with a clean car. Yeah, and of course you still pay for each appointment.
MFK is most brutal in Europe.Cars had to be washed also in Serbia until few years ago ,if they saw that is not perfectly clean would just say go away .But now they dont require it.Until few years ago test were also brutal here and i would had traumas going to inspection (like i failed because i did not have middle back seat head rest or i failed becase had small dent on the hood ) but now is relatively normal
in the uk the number plate stays with the car. You insure the car and not the plate. any mods you do , you have to let the indurer know that you have changed things and your insurance will go up if not standard car
@@brianmurphy8790 That's up to you if you even want it. You only need the normal insurance that covers damage you cause. If we're talking about legal side of things, including this voluntary insurance is strange, as technically you could even insure your cat or dog if you want to.
@@TheKarlShow So if you are in an accident that is your fault & you only have 3rd party insurance that means you have to buy a a replacement if it is written off or pay all the repair costs.
@@zetectic7968 Yes, that's normal and who do you imagine writes it off then if you don't have full coverage? It will be up to you to decide if you want to fix it or not. Unless you buy a brand new expensive car or lease, having full coverage is pretty much useless, unless you just are so bad at driving that you should be banned anyway. In UK cars seem to be dirt cheap compared to rest of Europe anyway, so it baffles me to think people get full coverage for a vehicle that is worth like 10k or even less.
Never ever seen a problem with making sure all safety items work. Almost all the modifications to vehicles in the USA would make them illegal to drive here! Test cost around $60. Registration (tag) $600. NSW in Oz
Honestly it's pretty safe to say that all vehicles over 7 years old in USA would fail this test. Heck Some makes struggle to pass over 80% of their cars in 4 years here, and now let's take in to account that most cars here tend to drive only 50-70% annually compared to cars in USA. It's over 100 miles away? it's FAR away. and in USA that would be almost neighborhood. 11:40 Aftermarket parts. Tires / Rims / Exhaust etc. Exhaust loudness has limit, at least in most of Europe, it might vary nation to nation, as every nation has slightly different rules (For example in France you may not increase power from stock. In Spain the vehicle weight may not change, and so on.) Tires and wheels, as long as they have suitable speed rating, weight rating, and are at least same size as stock (no notable increase in width or diameter) you are good. Most European nations want you to get your car inspected for those tires. For example My car stock tire is 215/65/16, I cannot run 205/60/16 there, mostly due to weight rating. I could run 225/55/17, as it's almost same size, but for 235/45/18 I need to get my car inspected for those tires. (no rubbing, not sticking outside of wheel well.) Also where i live spacers are forbidden, so in case I happen to find really good looking wheels, but the offset is slightly too high, and it rubs on suspension, I cannot "correct" it with a spacer, which would bring the tire quarter inch further out, and it wouldn't rub. I would have to get another wheels. 13:50 As for failure. My nation, it depends on the fault. If i have: one tail light out, Pass, just get it fixed. If I have: one headlight, one tail light, and one brake light out. it's fail. you can drive for 1 month, but within that month you have to bring it back, and show that it's fixed. If I have: High emissions. Same thing. If you don't bring it back in that month, it goes in to car registery, and any police vehicle you pass that has lisence plate reading camera will alert, and that might lead to car getting impounded. If I have: slight play in my steering rack. nothing that would prevent driving, and using the car still for decent time. Fail, You get a big red sticker on your windshield, come back with a tow truck or trailer. 22:00 When? car was first registered on let's say May 4th. 1999 first inspection 30 days prior to May 4th. 2003 After that Annually 30 days prior to May 4th. of whatever the current year happens to be.
As a former Class 4 and current heavy vehicle tester I can answer a few questions The exhaust being too loud is a fail but test centres aren't equipped to measure volume. As a fail can be contested which could end up in court most sensible testers won't fail an aftermarket louder exhaust but a head back straight pipe could fail. Car MOT test centres cannot stop you from driving away unless you haven't paid for the test. When it comes to heavy vehicle (HGVs, trailers and busses) can be issued with a roadworthiness prohibition for really dangerous fails (I had to issue one today on a horse box lorry that had burst a brake pipe as I was testing it)
We don’t have annual testing like this in Australia, but whenever a used car is sold, it needs a roadworthy certificate before it can be registered. Id be interested to know how it’s handled in America
@@LeoSag-b7p I’d normally assume baseless unprovoked nastiness like this is from an Italian but Italians shouldn’t feel proud of their road infrastructure or how their drivers conduct themselves
It's the same in Australia, (with differences in frequency, State to State). In NSW (I believe) it's every year, here in Qld it's every time the vehicle is sold, unless otherwise ordered by Police. The Police can (and do) pull you over and order you to get something fixed (defect notice) (a "Canary" in Aussie slang, because the defect notice is yellow) or they can order a complete "Roadworthy inspection" which is the same as the "MOT" described here. If the "Rozzers" pull you over and give you a "Canary", your car is ordered off the road until it's fixed.
Light vehicles here in New Zealand are required to do WOF (Warrant Of Fitness) inspections, & depending on the age of the car the time period between each inspection changes (vehicles first registered before the year 2000 = every 6 months, vehicles first registered from 2000 & beyond = every 12 months). WOF inspections include checking tire condition, brake condition, structural condition (rust isn't allowed in certain areas), light bulbs, windshield, windshield washers & wipers, doors, seat belts, airbags (if fitted), speedometer, steering & suspension, exhaust system (no leaks), fuel system (also no leaks). WOF inspections won't include checking the engine, clutch, gearbox, differential, lubricant levels, brake pad thickness or life expectancy (unless visibly unsafe), paintwork condition, or rust (in non-structural areas).
In our state of Victoria, these tests abd inspections are only done when transfering registration to another person. Car Sale. We used to buy and sell Cars a fair bit in my younger years abd we always gave the Inspector something to find. Usually a blows light, worn wiper or something similar that was easy to fix for the 2nd Inspection. The thinking was that if the Car was too good they would keep looking 👀 until they found something, so we gave them a few to find quickly. It generally worked. 🇦🇺
UK trucks need to have an MOT inspection every three months. Especially important here as they drive through towns and villages a lot more than in the US.
UK trucks and buses also have to have Periodic Maintenance Inspections every 8-10 weeks, which cover most of the items in the MOT test, including brake tests. These are often carried out in-house, or by the company's regular maintenance contractor. Detailed records of these inspections have to be kept, and made available to Ministry inspectors when required.
@thomas_oak2943 Trucks don't require an mot every 3 months,they are required to be inspected/serviced between 5 and 10 weeks (which can be reduced/increased at vosa discretion) ,they usually service it at the same time. Mot is still annually . Most big hgv operators will do an additional inspection, prior to the MOT.
Yes some cars have locking fuel caps most are locked in some way released from inside the car too. Protects from someone ruining your engine adding something to your fuel or stealing from it.
The mot is getting progressively harder to pass. It used to be a sensible annual safety test, irksome,but understandable. Its still not as bad as the German standards but will get there as 2030 approaches. Frankly its absolutely ridiculous that the USA doesnt have something similar. The "just rolled in" channel on youtube shows some shocking examples, and the customers are allowed to refuse repairs and just drive off in the death traps.
The _department_ hasn't been called the Ministry of Transport since the mid-20th century (currently it's the DVSA - Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which merged the previous DSA - Driving Standards Agency - for driving tests - with the previous VOSA - Vehicle and Operator Standards Agency - for vehicle inspections) but the name "MOT" stuck for the annual vehicle inspection. Driving licences and vehicle registration continue to be handled by the separate DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency).
The UK MOT test is basically an annual safety test. It is not an assurance the car will remain 100% safe for the following 12 Months. It is up to the owner or regular driver to ensure the vehicle remains compliant from day to day... If the UK police spot a vehicle which clearly has faults or issues making it unsafe to use, then they have the authority to remove it from the road until repairs are carried out....
The reason for the diesel emissions test warning is that once connected to the exhaust analysis machine the test involves running the engine at maximum revs (on the governor/ rev limit) for several seconds. If a cambelt snaps of the engine grenades, it's on you, not the mechanic. On using aftermarket parts such as wheels, suspension, exhausts, that's no problem as long as the vehicle meets test conditions otherwise so the exhaust can't leak or be unsecure - noise is difficult as it's subjective and testers have to use judgement but if presented with a car that has a straight pipe and no silencers installed and is very loud, that would be an easy assessment to make. If it does have silencers but the noise is just more than standard then most will be accepted. With wheels/ tyres, you mention the offset, that is about the only risk, they must not protrude past the body or foul/ contact any part of the suspension or structure but that's about it. I have submitted cars for MOT and passed, that were basically significantly home modified (a 1970's VW camper with a Alfa Romeo engine) but it was done properly so had no problems passing the test.
@MissSJ4429 did you even read what I wrote? If my brother was fudging the results, he'd be in prison. He's 100% legit, and doesn't give me a free pass just because we're family. He has his own garage. In fact, he's more strict with me because I drive his kids around. My point "I've never failed" was due to that, rather than suggesting I get shortcuts on my MOT due to family ties.
it blows my mind that in a country that is so car dependant you dont have a similar test
Without a car in the US, you are basically exiled from society. So hurdles from driving - like requiring actual skill or roadwoarthy cars - may not exist, no matter how many people die over it.
Watch all the "customer states" videos. You cant pay me enough to ever drive or be transported on American roads.
It's the "freedom" mindset, they think that it goes against their personal freedoms if the government imposes a mandatory annual inspection or starts putting limits to what vehicle owners can do to their vehicles.
@@walkir2662 That's not a valid explanation. The majority of people in Europe also depend on their cars to make a living. And it's precisely because car transport is so ubiquitous that road/vehicle safety is of utmost importance.
They have GUNS freely available . Why would This Matter..............................
One of the best things about the MOT in recent years is that all the results including advisories(warnings about areas of concern) are online so if you are buying a second hand car you can see its whole history of fails/issues and even its annual mileage before you even go to look at it
Absolutely the best thing. Being able to see what problems a car keeps having, lights up the dashboard of mental warnings to keep away from buying it.
And a history of 6 monthly MOTs means it used to be a taxi
@@mortisrat did not know that! I'm in the market for a big diesel currently so I'll definitely be checking for that. Cheers dude.
regular testing isnt just about knowing your car is safe, but rather knowing other cars around you wont fall apart as you drive down the road
That's a very good point, just knowing your own car is good to go is great, but in America it seems, whether other drivers are in safe vehicles or not, is a complete mystery!
Yep its kinda gives you the right to be upset if someone crashing you, it has to be purely human error :D
@matwinchest3r
Faults happen despite MOT`s though, there can be material fatigue or the vehicle can be damaged by unseen hazards, extreme weather can cause electrical fault while driving, et cetera..
"fun" fact, I once almost got hit by a bus in Oslo because I got a chestnut in my face, it almost stuck to my forehead and for a split second, I though I`d been hit with something a lot worse, because it came out of nowhere and I was paying attention to the road and not the trees, which is generally what you *should do* 😋
In UK sharp edges are an MoT failure, in USA they are a Cybertruck design feature!
Was in texas for a while a few years ago and parts would just fall off cars on the interstates. It's psychotic
The most basic difference in attitude between the US and just about everywhere else, is that Americans value individual "freedoms" whereas elsewhere communal responsibility is equally important. Hence, "It's MY car, none of your business" on one hand; "It's on public roads and can harm other users if dangerous" on the other. 🤔
USA has "freedom to have a broken car that can injure people", the rest of us have "freedom from being injured by a broken car"
sure but my freedom ends where everybody's else starts, and vice versa
@@icoborg tell that to Americans.
It varies from state to state. California has the strictest emission norms in the world. That's also where VW got busted cheating (VW diesel scandal). Here in Germany cars have to undergo inspection every 2 years. The testing organization is pushing to make that an annual test too. Meanwhile the emissions test is becoming stricter in the middle of this year too. And the EU wants to prohibit repairs on old vehicles ("residual vehicles"/15 years old). Almost noone is buying electric cars, because it's a really bad proposition, so the politicians want to leave us with no choice, but to switch to EVs. Even current ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles report your driving data to insurers. Cars that don't snitch on you are disappearing. Parts availability and their reliability is down. Everything is just getting worse.
@@NafanyaZX Sure, but emissions doesn't make your car a rolling death machine to other people. Terrible emissions might take a few years off of the nearby population in total. But a wheel falling off can result in multiple deaths in a very short time span.
Like this event: th-cam.com/video/EOosn78WsMg/w-d-xo.html
That's stuff you expect to see in Russian dashcams or from some other run down country with a GDP/capita of two loaves of bread. Not from the richest country in the world.
And there's no way that pickup would have passed an annual inspection in civilized countries.
"Just rolled in" and "Customer states" channels show hundreds of cars which are death traps! They are quite funny but also insane for the hassle I am glad we have MOT's here.
And so often “the customer refused repairs… and drove away”
Explains all those car videos, of cars running red lights, stop signs, not stopping, losing control in the simplist situation 😂🤣
Yes, it is always a worry at the time your vehicle needs a test but the alternative would be more worrying.
The difference in attitude between the Americans and most of the Western world is that Americans see driving as a right, the rest of us see it as a privilege and our authorities see that too.
1.5 tonnes of steel is not a laughing matter when unable to steer, stop or trap its occupants in a fire.
I'm always amazed that in the most litigious country in the world is so lax on responsibility to others on the road.
It does however produce great car crash videos for us to watch.
Europeans seem to focus on driving coming with responsibility, while in the US it's more of a competition and the bulkiest wins (victim shaming included)!
I think it's a question of one's freedom to not care about others.
@@jantimmerby Freedom to have no regulations so you can do whatever you want with little to no responsibility. ;)
Watch any dashcam compliation ever and it's pretty much the same deal.
UK - Oh no someone came to a stop on a motorway, you hear the ABS, the guy behind maybe slightly bumps the camera guy's rear bumper.
US - Oh no someone came to a stop on an interstate, tyres squealing, some rusty mess comes flying into the camera car at 90mph followed by 10 other cars all slamming into each other.
In the US... How many people have bald tyres? How many people still lack ABS? How many people lack colission warnings/AEB?
Nevermind the lack of headlight aim testing and every other person driving around with their high beam on or a giant light bar.
At least from my perspective as a Brit, the US feels like the wild west. Basically do whatever you want and hope and pray you live.
Yes, it does seem fair enough to fail it if any of the passenger doors won't open.
Hey Ian
In Poland 🇵🇱 such test are normal too.
In case any problem while the inspection you get two weeks to fix all issues.
You are not allowed to drive your car without the inspection- if police catch you you won’t be allowed to drive - car would be taken to the police car park.
In case you your car wouldn’t have a valid inspection and you would have a car accident- your insurance company would refuse to pay.
And yes such inspections are something normal across whole Europe not only EU
it's usually better to do MOT week, week and a half before MOT expires. That way you have leeway to fix before it expires
Interesting to hear the thing about the two weeks in Poland
Just over the border, in Lithuania for most things, if its not a critical fault (like your suspension is about to go through the rusty towers or the engine is basically falling out), you would get a pass with an "advisory", where if the next time the police sees you, they can (but are not required to) check if that advisory has been fixed, if not the inspection gets invalidated
also, another country dependent tidbit, similar tests in eu (MOT-UK, APK-NL, TA-LT, TUV-DE or the Polish Badanie Techniczne) have differing periods for inspection between countres, and also types of vehicles for most of the countries as well.
@@ChR0nos_7734 I do my MOT a month before it expires, just in case there's something that needs fixing and my mechanic's waiting times can go beyond 3 weeks
In France you have to do the "technical inspection" once every two years. If you have not done so, you pay a fine of 135 Euros. And to sell/buy a vehicle it is the seller who must prove a technical inspection who has less than 6 months before the sale.
If it's really "I don't care about the regulations" (for example not done for 10 years) the police can withdraw your "vehicle registration card" and therefore prohibit you from driving .
In Serbia is call "technical inspection" and is every year .I thing is a week 2 fix issues if you fail ,if you dont then you need to pay it again .
But what i hate in Serbia is that i need to take to inspection also my camper caravan every year ,And test is like brutal for my car and caravan and takes whole hour so i really hate it , had few times damage on caravan because off test ,and for something that just sits 99.99% off time ,maybe use it 3-4 times a year.
Also my hobby caravan dont have reverse light from factory and few years ago i failed test because i dont have reverse light and they sad from that year i must have ,so i had to modify caravan to install it which i really hate it
we have the same as MOT all over Europe, it’s not just the UK . In Spain it’s after 4 years / second 6 years after that it’s every year and we have to go to a special ITV (MOT) centre.
It's not only about keeping you alive but you not killing anyone else
If you think the UK MOT test is strigent, the German TÜV is even stricter and the Japanese equivalent of an MOT test is called the shaken. It's a mandatory inspection for all vehicles in Japan that must be carried out every two years. The inspection ensures that vehicles are safe to drive and are properly maintained. It's so strict that enough cars fail that they are exported to the UK (they are RHD) and sold.
that is a fact, I got a nice FTO for cheap a few years ago, beautiful car
Yearly in Austria even
MoTs are failed in droves here and you can get the necessary fixes done for a free re-test if you do it quickly
Netherlands: APK, periodic vehicle inspection. Periodic = annual. Done by a licensed garage, who reports to the Department for Transportation. If you don’t have this done, your car gets reported, and you might get stopped by the police. But worse than the fine, is that your insurance gets suspended… Driving while uninsured gets you in trouble, on a whole different level.
And the inspection can get inspected. If the inspector missed something or did write your car up wrong, he is in trouble
If the car Fails the test the car is not street legal any more until you fix it. You can´t even park it on pubic streets. The RDW ( Department for Transportation. ) will check the garage if there is suspision, the garage can lose there license. You only pay one's fail fix it Pass your good too Go
In Croatia
Different types of vehicles are subject to regular technical inspection at different intervals according to the following table:
New vehicles: 2 years (24 months) after the first registration of the vehicle, and then every 12 months.
New vehicles are considered to be vehicles that are not registered, have not been in circulation and are not older than 1 year (12 months), and refer to motor vehicles and trailers with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 3500 kg,
new motor vehicles for the transport of persons that, in addition to the driver's seat, have more than eight seats, new ambulances and new taxi vehicles, regardless of whether they are new or used: every 12 months.
Used vehicles: every 12 months.
Light trailers: after the first registration, every 36 months.
***
Heavily exploited groups of vehicles are subject to preventive technical inspections at intervals depending on their age. The groups of vehicles subject to preventive inspections are:
Vehicles for rent (rent a car vehicles),
Vehicles used for training candidates for drivers (driving schools),
Vehicles used for taxi transport,
Ambulance vehicles,
Buses,
Cargo and trailer vehicles for the transport of dangerous goods,
Cargo and trailer vehicles with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 7,500 kg.
The periods in which the above-mentioned vehicles must undergo preventive inspections are:
Vehicles older than six to ten years of age, every 6 months from the date of the regular or preventive technical inspection
Vehicles older than ten years, every 3 months from the date of the regular or preventive technical inspection.
Hi Ian Some cars in the uk do have a lockable fuel cap for which you need a separate key to unlock it this is mainly to prevent fuel theft.
Yep, and those cars that don't require a physical key will usually have an internal lock for the filler cap door to keep them secure.
@MINKIN2 Or Ford uses a capless easyfuel system so it has anti syphon and only certain funnels designed for it can get past the mechanism so it has no lock on it as they put the faith in the anti syphon
Haven't seen a lockable fulecup since the 80's
Motorcycles all have locking fuel caps..
I had a lock on the fuel cap (with a separate key) of my old Volvo Amazon from -68.
It was my first car in the late 80's.
After that I had mostly cars with central locking system, which always included a lock on the lid over the fuel cap (without a separate key).
Usually the garage does the repairs to pass the mot, but a retest at the same garage is free if done within 2 weeks of original test
but be wary of the fraudsters mot centers, esp those what offer pay in installments. my dad went to garage to get work done you can pay monthly over period time but they also did MOT they did £500 worth work the next year they failed him on same thing a fix what should last around 5 years, lucky my dad still had time left on old MOT and took it to my mechanic and he took it to the MOT center i went too and it was fine. a lot fraudsters who make up extra work because they can, it entrapment and most time its pay monthly so most people just say fix it. do not go to garages what offer pay monthly esp if the do MOT too. saying that my dad after few years realized these people robbing him and he never return no matter if he low on funds. and my old car i just upgraded to newer one but to say my MOT were good my old car was 13 years old when i sold it and it month from an MOT, the five MOT i got the car was a clean pass every time, the garage i sold car too it only had two minor one was cracking tyre but as getting rid car i put that off as still legal tread and brake pipe a bit grease or something near a connector but been over 4 years before had work done on that area so it was due to be looked at so the place my car was taken for the MOT was a good one, 5.5 years ownership a clean pass every time and i always say to my local mechanic i only want a clean pass, if in doubt fix it before you take it so have a look look and get the car ready for clean pass, he dose a good job now got newer shape of same car he now got new challenge i only want clean pass and plan to keep car a very long time, next one be first i do and 9 years old so i got sneaky suspicion suspension is prob not far off needing attention, it feels good but getting to that age where i might but it has full service dealership history so that may help, its that and or disks and pads as bit hard driving a day drive through wales i got fade after fast road and a lot sharp corners so maybe set pads.
I believe its within 7 days. Otherwise you pay again for a re test
@ 10 working days
@@MrVjjorge It's actually 21 days, then you must pay for a retest.
@@andrewwaller5913 ‘You only need a partial retest if you leave the vehicle at the test centre for repair and it’s retested within 10 working days. There’s no fee for this’ , .GOV
I worked for a manufacturer of vehicle inspection equipment for the last 23 years (I recently retired). Here in Europe, but also in countries in the Far East and the UAE, the items to be checked differ from country to country and per vehicle type (cars, HGV's, Trailers, motorcycles, etc). Also the pass/fail criteria are different per country and vehicle type. The hardware used for inspections (roller beds, emission testers, etc) is the same, but the software is always country-specific.
Here in the Netherlands the general condition of vehicles is much better since mandatory annual inspections were introduced way back when. You never see a complete wreck driving on the road.
The lack of a proper driving test and car tests is unbelievable in such a car centric population. From watching lots and lots of American TH-cam videos 95% of Americans would not pass a European driving test and 90% of their cars would fail an mot/EU equivalent. The majority of Americans would have to go back to horses to get around.
I have seen guys being interviewed on TV on FaceTime while driving.
Tuv in Germany and contrôle technique in France. In France it's every 2 years costs about 80€. Takes about an hr and everything is tested.
In Germany it's colloquially called TÜV, but really there are
- Hauptuntersuchung (HU) and
- Abgasuntersuchung (AU),
which can be performed by TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein) or DEKRA
@@la-go-xy there are other organisations as well, or posibly just sworn in certified engineers, but TÜV and DEKRA are the major ones.
Yearly in Austria even
15:10 It is £55 just to make sure the car is safe for the road. However we still have vehicle tax that we pay every year, and that can be anything from £0 to £500+ depending on the year and emissions rating of the car.
Its not even £55 for a test, maybe thats a england thing, its £30 lol i just had mine 2 months ago. Keep in mind we pay a lot less for insurance in the uk too, like i pay £500 per year and £30 for my tax. Ive spoken to americans who were paying $500 PER MONTH lol. Americans even with years without accidents pay as much as 17 year olds in the uk by standard.
@@WookieWarriorz £54.85 is the maximum a garage can charge for an MOT on a car, however if the garage decides to charge you less then its up to them… some will charge less if its combined with an annual service or part of a service plan.
Well tax is going up to £2000
@Mattlawton-ft6ew Not on every vehicle.
@@p.istaker8862 I know what I ment is its going as high as £2000 maybe even £2500 on some total madness
I saw videos of American repair shops ("Costumer states...") on youtube and what we can see sometimes is ... mindblowing.
You've got cars with holes, literally holes because of rust in the châssis or even in pieces attached to suspension !
The US has the freedom to drive and keep their vehicle how they like, UK has the freedom not to die in an unsafe death trap (or be killed by someone else's), I would rather be safe than and have this minor inconvenience each year. Also if its a minor issue that is not going to fail, you may get and "Advisory" which is saying that it has passed but we advise you to get new brake pads before next test or your tyres have enough tread but will soon be too low etc. As so many garages have MOT services you also ask around and find a garage where they won't rip you off for minor issues.
UK Council MOT centres are used by many public services and can also be used for a private car MOT. You pay the price of the MOT (you don't get discount prices for these MOTs) and that's it. They have no vested interest in 'finding faults' that require additional work, because they don't do any kinds of repairs. Also, I've never known of a car not being allowed to be taken home by the owner in the event of a fail (so if this does happen, it must be something pretty major wrong with the car). I've had a couple of failures over the years and been able to take my car home or to my local mechanic and come back within a certain time, with everything fixed and they issue a Certificate.
Try the Ashley Neil video he shows a Mot test in progress, and the mot tester talks you through what's happening.
agreed , it's a great and informative video .
In germany we have the TÜV (the acronym stands for Technical Surveillance Society). They not only do car checks, but pretty much all technical installations you can imagine, from rollercoasters to nuclear power plants. You can make an appointment directly with them at their subsidiaries and have your car back within 30-60 minutes or bring it to a garage where a tester will come by. You choose the garage when you suspect that work is needed so it can be done beforehand. The check is mandatory for new cars 3 years after registration, after that every 2 years since your last check. Sellers of used cars usually take the test (even if it wasn't really due) to prove that the car is in good shape.
In regards to fuel caps, yes most cars here have a lock on them (the inner cap, not the outer panel that hides it). It's not a common crime, but it prevents someone from coming along and siphoning out your fuel.
One important thing to remember about an MOT is that the tester is not allowed to remove anything. This means that if you have covers over certain components, they won't be checked (but the fact that they were covered will likely be recorded on the report)
Also if you shop around, you can usually get the MOT done for about £30 on a standard car. My last one was actually free with a year's membership to Halfords (mechanic/retail chain), which also gives me 5% off everything I buy there (including MOT/servicing) and free next-day delivery.
The car key opens it and stays in the cap until you lock it again .Before that, people forgot to put the cap back on, sometimes
@@la-go-xy I'll be honest, my newest car doesn't require you to leave the key in the cap, and I have driven away with the cap open twice. I blame the self-service pumps and ADHD 🤣
(Thankfully, I was flagged down by other drivers in both instances before I got too far)
The problem is fule theft is a thing here due to high fule prices so a lot of cars have a lock on the fule cap and it's not always the same key as the doors or ignition
American cars also have locking fuel fillers. We used to run stretched Lincoln and Hummer H2 limos. The Lincolns had a fuel flap release inside the car, and the Hummers had key locks on the caps, so he should not be surprised that they exist.
One thing I haven't seen on any of the US mechanics' channels I have watched is locking wheel nuts. They are almost universal on alloy wheels here in the UK, but don't seem to be a thing in the US.
Yes you are allowed to install a louder exhaust on your car but there are noise limits that they need to comply with, There are even special cameras that have recently been introduced that measure the noise levels coming from your car and if it exceeds the limit they'll send you a fine in the post
Exhaust/engine noise is a judgement call by the tester.. there's no hard dB limit.. as long as they don't think it's totally obnoxious..
(Exhaust noise from the vehicle must not be unreasonably above the noise level you’d expect from a similar vehicle)
Motorcycle testers let you get away with murder.. 😁
Diesel smoke tests involve accelerating the engine up to its maximum speed briefly, up to six times, if it doesn't pass on the first acceleration, to measure opacity of exhaust smoke. This is why poorly maintained engines are at risk during the test.
As a retired mechanic in the UK, I am horrified to see the condition of some of the cars which Americans are prepared (and allowed by the authorities) to drive on the roads, putting themselves and other road users in danger, all in the name of "freedom".
MOT centres will not stop you driving away. If the car fails on a dangerous defect, you are not permitted to drive it on the road, so to comply with the law, you must either have it repaired before you take it away, or have it recovered to somewhere else for repairs, but they will not physically stop you. If it's not classed as dangerous, you can take it to a repairer, then back to a test centre for retesting.
Yes, I follow a channel called Bus Grease Monkey and it seems like the majority of buses they get in for repair have serious safety defects through years of neglect.
In sweden on newer diesel cars (obd2) they scan for codes. If it is ok then the emissions should be ok.
In Serbia there is emission test also every year since forever but also forever its just informative so you cant fail test because off emissions so many take DPF out but risk that maybe next year they will fail ,but they just prolong every year because they know that half off cars would fail the test
@@fulf YOu can delete code with simple application on phone, i do it before inspection because it only return after 300-400 km
It’s time you get a t-shirt stating: "We don’t have that here" 😂😂
The USA is so weird that it doesn't sound me crazy at all that you don't have this kind of mandatory inspections.
Just think how many voted fr the orange idiot
In Greece we have something similar to this, it called K.T.E.O. If i translate it to English the name is like "center of technical inspection of vehicles". Can be Public or Private. You must pass every two years the general technical inspection and every year the emissions test. The timing of this video was perfect, tomorrow i must take my car to go for the technical inspection! 😁
In Serbia is every year and i hate it becase i have 5 cars and caravan ,so 6 times a year have to go Tests are recorded with cameras but if you are good with people who work there they have their tricks to fool the test becase off little older cars its very hard to pass
There's nothing bad about an MOT test mate, it keeps you and other road users safe..end of
If the car fails, the MOT testing centre will let you take your car to a garage of your choice. If you represent the car within 7 days the second test is free. Most people get their car serviced before hand to avoid failing.
I thought it was 14 days.
it's actually within 10 *working* days not including the day of the first test
Bit more complicated than that, the official on .gov is if it stays at the test centre and repaired and retested within 10 days then the partial retest is free, if you take it away and have certain repairs (list is on .gov) done and submit it to the same test centre before the end of the next day again the partial retest is free, but if it’s taken away for repairs the submitted within 10 days then there’s a partial charge. Outside of that that it’s full charge.
If a vehicle isn't roadworthy, it isn't allowed on the road. It's that simple.
It's worth noting that in England, Scotland and Wales, the testing is done by authorised independent businesses that aren't part of the government, but in Northern Ireland you have to use a government run inspection centre. The NI centres have a nasty backlog at the moment as there aren't enough of them.
Americans won't understand any of that. 😂😂
15:32 In the UK the numberplate stays with the car so unless it gets a custom plate it'll have the same one from new until scrapped. We also don't register a vehicle like that, we just notify of change of ownership once which is free.
Yeah my private plate has been on 4 cars & the last time I had work done on it i checked the paperwork & it was still under the last car it was on.
Finland:
* New cars don't have to be inspected for a few years in the beginning of their life, and I think it's every 2 years for cars
You can have advisories for work which is needed but that does not constitute a fail but if the vehicle fails on one item, that is still a fail. I always have my MOT test several days before it is due just in case the car fails and needs work so I can get that done before the previous MOT expires.
I do exactly the same however, if the vehicle fails on something the tester marks as dangerous that invalidates the current MOT certificate.
Surface rust is Ok. It's more about unsound bodywork.
The main rust check is to ensure there is no serious corrosion within 12 inches of a mounting point for suspension or steering components, or any other component that could compromise safety,
Yes esp where suspension body or seat belts are conected or that reduces the strength of the car in a crash
Rule of thumb is that, if you can stick a screwdriver through it, it's excessive corrosion. If it's within 30cm of a mounting point for steering, suspension, seats or seat belts, it's a failure.
Unsound bodywork is perfectly fine as it isn't structural but it can't be dangerous to pedestrians or passers by.
At least in Finland your cars paperwork has the tyre size on it. If you put bigger wheels and tyres on your car you should go to the Tuv station and get your car inspected and pay the fee for altering the cars papers to have a extra note that it has been permitted to run those rims. Same thing if you put coilovers on your car.
It is indeed remarkable that the United States does not have uniform periodic vehicle inspections like Europe, where mandatory checks are in place. In the U.S., whether inspections are required at all depends on the state, and the scope of these inspections varies significantly. Some states only conduct emissions testing, while others check both the technical condition of the vehicle and its emissions.
This lack of a national standard can lead to differences in safety and environmental impact. In Europe, periodic inspections are seen as an important measure to prevent traffic accidents and reduce environmental impact, whereas in the U.S., much of the responsibility is placed on vehicle owners and the market.
This approach does have its advantages. For example, it saves costs for vehicle owners in states where inspections are not required, but it also raises questions about whether this negatively affects road safety or air quality. This can be especially risky for older vehicles. It remains a fascinating policy difference between two parts of the world!
Most modern cars have a lock on the fuel cap, you unlock it with the ignition key.
one of the best things about the MOT and buying second hand cars is that you can look up the MOT history of a car before buying it. Some things that let you pass an MOT but get flagged as an "Advisory" meaning they could become a problem in the future. All of that info shows up when you look up the car history on the government website so you can see how the car has been looked after even if you don't know how to maintain cars yourself
Same in Sweden, you get the stamps and protocol to keep it with the car, same if all taxes is paid
In Northern Ireland we do the test annually after the car reaches 4 years of age, the difference from the mainland UK is that we have to go to government centres (which currently have a 6 month backlog) and not private garages.
They'll do an emissions check on petrol cars (NI MOT centres don't have the equipment to do emissions on diesel ones, although afaik the centre in Omagh is testing a machine that can), check your lights are working and aligned properly, check your brakes function correctly and do a visual check of the cars suspension and tires. If you fail the test you can usually drive home and to a pre-arranged appointment with a garage to get the car repaired unless something is seriously wrong at what point the car can be prohibited and can not go on the road for any reason until it's sorted and retested.
The test is cheap, £35 and if you fail you can book a retest where they will only test the thing it failed on which is £18.50 (at least it was the last time I failed a test in 2018) but there's a timeframe that it needs to back within and if you take longer it's a full retest and you have to pay the full fee again. It can also wipe a lot of value off your car if you try and sell the car with a short or no MOT certificate, it's not uncommon for people to test the car before selling if it's short to increase the value.
MOT can be a bit of a pain to deal with but I'd rather go through that and know that the other cars around me are not likely to be complete deathtraps than have the situation in the US where anything goes (Just Rolled In really opened my eyes to how dodgy some US cars actually are)
Edit: 14:23 the image shown is also one of the NI test centres. We aren't required to renew a sticker for our cars per say as we used to display a paper tax disc in the windshield but that was done away with in 2015 as it's all digital now, price is dependant on when the car was registered and what emissions it puts out, my late 2006 Jaguar XK for instance is £771 a year ($940USD) as it falls into the highest tax band for its time.
In the UK the police everywhere have access to a national database of car tax, vehicle insurance and current MOT certificate. They also know if you don't hold a current driving licence. Miss out on some of these, and they can punish you, maybe impound the vehicle and even send it to be crushed, depending on what they find. ANPR equipment at some roadside locations, and inside many police cars catch these lawbreakers.
Only works if they have a number plate that is both readable and proper though. About time we came up with a better way.
There are NO negatives to having an annual legally required test like the MOT. AFAIK the USA is the major outlier in this (there maybe more countries).
This week, my car would have failed the TPMS part of the MOT but I had the garage perform a pre-MOT check as part of my annual service. That way there are no surprises at the actual test. The garage will advise you what needs to be fixed and the cost which gives you the opportunity not to have any further work carried out! If your current MOT is valid you can then drive your car away. BUT you will not be able to legally drive on the road after the current MOT lapses. (I had the TPMS fixed 🙂)
I also got an cautionary notice about cracking in the tyres which, although not sufficient to fail the test, is an issue which needs to be addressed.
If implementing an MOT would mean that I’m not allowed to drive my modded Subie with aftermarket exhaust, turbo, aero, ECU, etc., then that sounds like a pretty big negative to me.
@patfast Well itd also mean that a nissan altima with bald tires wouldnt slide into your subaru if it rained even a milimeter
@benedekhalda-kiss9737 I agree with you on paper but all the regulations in the world would not be sufficient to prevent 350 credit score Altima owners from driving like dipshits. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in an Altima.
Being a Brit who has driven across Europe and the US the worse thing about being on US roads is how many tyre carcasses on the side of the road and how clearly broken some cars in front or behind you are. It does leave you nervous!
Here in Denmark we also have inspections. Frequency depend lf which vehicle. A normal car or a cargo van will have first inspection 4 years after purchase and then every 2 years after that. Busses and semitrucks and other large vehicles have annual inspections. These inspections are done in order to make it safer for everyone.
here in denmark its also 4 years before its first inspection. after that its every 2 years.
price is about the same for the inspection too.
it need to be a critical error if not allowed on the road if failed.
surface rust is allowed but not rusted structural parts.
normal errors give you 30 days to fix it and only allowed to travel between your place. the mechanic and inspection.
usually dont have to pay for a second inspection just come in so they can see its fixed.
i think the inspections is a nice thing.
not only for safety but also to spot things before they get really expensive to fix.
he forgot to mention the age of the tires also matter.
if i remember right then they fail if more than 5 years old.
pretty wild america dont care about the cars safety on the roads.
America doesn't care about it's people just look at the recent government failings so this is no surprise it's like a third world country with guns 😂😂😂
My car is 20 years old and is still in very good nick, under 100k miles and have absolutely no warning lights unless somethings wrong (which isn’t often). Very proud of it but I always anticipate a failed MOT the first time around because of the age and there’s always something that needs fixing that I can’t do. I don’t mind though cause it’s done me well
Sounds like a lot of the cars in the US are not roadworthy and would fail basic condition here in the UK . sounds dangerous how can this be allowed its insane . Motorcycles have to have the BSA stamp on the silencer which is an approved stamp , a lot get away with this by keeping the original silencers and swapping them out , but if found changed in an accident then insurance can be a problem as it's been altered standard , if the insurance company is not notified of any mods then you insurance is void .
Ive seen cars in the USA with crushed windscreens.
Usually the retest after fixing any issues is free. Mostly the fails are going to be tyres, brakes and wipers. The MOT results come with a list of Pass/Warning/Fails. Warnings normally mean "get this fixed before next year".
Inspection is what the mechanics/garages offer. the certificate is not from them. However, (in Germany at least) garages often arrange to schedule a certification at the end of a maintenance, when they have an authorozed official come to look at several cars. Since the maintenance inspection is optional it generates some customers and for them it helps keep the timeline if anything has to be fixed.
similar for the UK
We have it here too (Greece), it's called *KTEO* the acronym for _Centre for Technical Inspection of Vehicles_ and every passenger vehicle is required to undergo inspection. In fact we, the owners of the car, receive a text message and an e-mail when the time for the inspection approaches. The non-complying penalty starts from a hefty fine up to the confiscation of the vehicle!
Vehicle Inspections are so important and i feel quite a few Americans (at least in TH-cam Comment Sections or Videos) constantly complain about how unreliable this and that Car is because they don't have something like the "TÜV" (from here in Germany) or what they do in the UK.
When you are forced to have your Car checked and repaired (even tiny Things or Things that could go wrong in the Future) you will hardly have any Reliability Issues with your Car.
This is also why somehow Cars that are in the Top 20 of most unreliable Cars in the USA, are somehow in the Top 10 of most reliable Cars.
Good Examples would be BMW which somehow always break in the USA, but over here are considered one of the most reliable Brands by the TÜV themselves by the Way.
So i guess that the Brands that are considered unreliable in the USA are only unreliable because the Owners are not forced to take proper Care of them and get them checked regularly.
So Brands like Toyota (which are also considered reliable over here) are considered very reliable in the USA, because you can treat them like Trash and never take Care of them at all until they break
Prost & Cheers from the Snow-Covered Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
@11:20 yes you are allowed an aftermarket exhaust but its pretty much down to the tester to decide if it is too loud for the vehicle. If you have a friendly tester you can pass with a straight pipe and no cat haha.
Tyres and wheels can't protrude past the bodywork, so just put some extra wide arches on to cover your wheels ;)
In Australia you can’t transfer an ownership when to sell it without this type of inspection. We call it a roadworthy certificate.
I go to the U.S at least once a year and we always have a good laugh at the terrible state of some of the cars on the road, even on the interstates.
It's not just the UK. These inepections are the norm all across the developed world. The US is the odd one out and akin to a third-world country. Same when it comes to the test to obtain a driving license. Mind-boggling tbh. No wonder the US car accident/death rate is off the charts.
The ridiculous thing is, USA has some of the tightest rules for manufacturers on car specifications but once the vehicle has left the showroom, anything goes!
The key for the fuel cap depends on car/model/year. For example Peugeot 206 or any other cars before 2010 to open and fill you need to get the ignition key and open the cap, now some model doesn't need keys to open the cap
In croatia we have a central organization for vehicle inspections with inspection stations all over the country. Every vehicle goes through yearly inspection. One recent innovation in the last few years is that finally brand new vehicles don't have to be inspected in the first two years. Previously even brand new vehicles from a dealer had to go through inspection. Another thing, there are ways to cheat the tests, esp. in more rural areas where people know each other or the technicians are more likely to take a small token of gratitude to turn a blind eye on some smaller issues with older cars (eg bad windshield nozzles, reverse light, etc). They used to cheat a lot on emissions testing too, but with everything being recorded on computers and employees having digital badges, it's getting less common. Although they will let you warm up the engine for quite a long time until they get a good rating.
I book my car in for its annual service and MOT on the same day. So effectively the garage checks the state of the car, fixes what needs fixing, then does the formal MOT test at the point when everything should be fixed already. You can have "advisories" on the test, basically meaning that your car passed but there are things that will definitely need to be addressed in the not too distant future, and certainly before the next test: for example, tyres will need replacing pretty soon.
There's no such thing as "advisories" anymore. It's now minor, major and dangerous faults.
I'm not disputing that you've had success doing this, but a freshly serviced car can still fail an MOT test. Many service items are not part of the test, and many parts of the test are not covered during a regular service. Granted, a conscientious garage wouldn't waste your time with a oil & filter change if they knew the car would fail for structural issues. I'm just saying you cannot absolutely rely on this method.
@@mitus85 The service is done by the same place as the MOT. They look out for all the MOT criteria and fix anything that needs fixing, then retest. It takes up to half a day. Just more efficient from my point of view to have it all done at the same place and same time, literally five minutes walk from my house.
@missharry5727 I understand the procedure and it's great that you have a reputable garage so close by. What I was getting at is that service items such as oil & filter, air filter, pollen filter, antifreeze, brake fluid, spark plugs (petrol) or fuel filter (diesel) are not actually part of the mot test. What you're referring to as a "service" sounds more like an inspection to me. Not trying to be awkward, just trying to differentiate between 2 different things. A completely unserviced & unloved car can still pass an mot test - trust me I know 😂
@mitus85 no, it includes all the items you list as a regular service like filters, plus an MOT. It means I only have to be without the car for one day rather than two.
Testing your seatbelts is fairly easy
1. Pull it all the way out checking it runs freely and inspecting for rips or fraying.
2. Yank firmly to check the inertia reel locks as it should under sudden force and releases afterwards.
3. Lock the belt in and jerk and wiggle it to ensure its locked in properly then check it releases afterwards.
4. Check all attachment points for signs of damage and that height adjustment works smoothly and locks if fitted.
I did a similar six monthly test for light vehicles in the army if you have the checklist and some mechanical expertise its fairly easy.
14:20 the keyword is Drive. They are not allowed to let the failed car Drive away.
So either have it fixed at the test center or have it towed/loaded up and have it fixed off site.
The rust is generally about the structural components, e.g. where suspension attaches or parts of the chassis etc. Surface rust on a door etc is not the issue
We had a Toyota Prius hybrid for three years (in London UK) and had the catalytic converter stolen four times. It was a big push for us to get our electric car.
Original cat on a prius was worth decent money, lots of valuable metals in it, which are required to produce the electric shit :D
We have the same tests in Sweden and this is why we drive around in safe cars and keep the cars in a good condition. And i know that the car behind me at least have brakes!!! The cars you often see in US would got a forbidden to drive on the road sticker on the windscreen immediately it rolled in. Whe have 3 stages of wrongs, 1. Good to know if a part is near to be bad, 2. You have to fix the faulty part within a month and do the tests on just that part, and 3. Forbidden to drive the car, they don't keep the car but you have to fix it and do the test again before you can drive it. I sometimes watch Just Rolled In and it's insane to see the shit boxes that rolls in at the shops in US!! And the thing you said about buying a used car at say craigslist or similar, it's a good thing to know there is test to check out and you can easily check if a car passed the test or not, you only need the registration number. If you buy from a dealer the car must have passed the test before they can sell it to you.
In Belgium it's called "Technische Keuring" (=Technical Inspection) and isn't required for the first 4 years of a new car, then every 2 years until your car is a certain age or had a certain amount of kilometers, then it's every year again. It's around 40€ (thought it was 43 last time I went). Your inspection date is the day you register your car... you can go from 2 months before this date till the day before.
Here the inspection is only to inspect, if it doesn't pass inspection it says on the inspection paper what's wrong with it and with that you have to go to your garage to have it fixed and present you car again for inspection within 2 weeks. For the re-inspection you don't pay full price. I had to go back in 2023 for a light that wasn't working and I know it was a lot less that I payed but I can't remember how much I payed.
If something major is wrong, not sure what that is because I never had that happen, you get a red inspection paper and you aren't allowed on the road anymore -> so I'm guessing not even to drive home... then you have 2 months to present your car for inspection again.
They did just pass a law that for some minor things like a light that doesn't work, instead of going back to the Inspection after having it fixed, your garage's OK would be enough (if they have the right certifications). But I'm not sure how this will work yet.
You also have to have an Inspection when you sell your car. By law a 2nd hand car has to have that Inspection paper with it before you can sell it.
@@lorrefl7072 It is prety much the same here in Slovenia except i don't know if it is cheaper second time arround when you fix your car.
Here in the Nethelands it's the same with the APK (Algemene peiodieke keuring), the first time after 4 years, then twice after 2 years and when a car is 8 years old you have the yearly check
In the Netherlands the inspection is done by a licensed garage. They can fix the problem (like a broken light) and then let it pass. It will have a note on the paper "passed after these repairs: "
The garage can have a check as well. Someone from the department of motorvehicles can show up unannounced and checks the car as well. If something is wrong, for example the garage owner wrongly lets a car pass, he can get a huge fine or even lose his license.
Fuel caps here have locks on a lot of makes
Another note to add, once a car is 40 years old, you can register it as an 'historic vehicle', it is then exempt from having a yearly MOT.
Although, you can, & a lot of people do still have the MOT done each year.
That is such a stupid exemption. I guess the theory is that someone who keeps a car that long wants to look after it anyway.
@@drcl7429it is not stupid, but it is concerning, consider the following ...... the miles covered by classic cars are very limited, most MOT inspectors don't understand older cars( lack of old technical knowledge, on board equipment and construction) they were cars their fathers knew, these cars are in the most part in good mechanical condition being cherished by their owners, they are driven conservatively. We know that when we pass these old jalopies will be scrapped as will be the cars which you now cherish.
11:13 I have some exhaust and intake mods and ECU/TCU tune on my Audi here in the UK. Generally it’s not a problem with the MOT unless you have have a decat pipe which increases the emissions. The only issue is when you have mods and you haven’t told your insurer, that is risky, but they dont check that info on MOT.
In Portugal its around 30€ and it's a annual inspection. If i recall, only the classic cars (if registered has a classic car) dont need to do the annual inspections
In Spain is exactly the same.
In Sweden we have had our cars inspected annually for as long as I can remember. And I am over 50 years old.
depending on the faults causing the failures you can drive the car, you can take your car home with you, you can fix the problems yourself or pay a garage to fix them, some mot testing garages will also fix the faults for a fee but others will not. You have 10 days (or until old certificate expires, whichever is sooner) to fix the problems after this time it is illegal to continue driving your car on the road. you have a maximum of 60 days to retest your car. In all cases if your previous mot certificate has already expired you can only drive the car if driving it to a testing station anything else is illegal.
Hi, I'm not sure, but believe you can also drive to a repair garage to get the issue fixed, so long as the repair has been booked.
If it still applies, the test has to be booked as well.
I live in Iceland, one of the Nordic countries, where we have strict rules about the condition of the vehicles allowed to be on our roads. The environmental (emission) part is incidental and disqualifying if found wanting, but the important bits are the safety features of the vehicles: Brakes, steering rods, suspension, seat belts and the general condition of the vehicle is under scrutiny. Bottom line: You will NEVER find unsafe rust buckets driving around on European roads! That may be the norm in 'Murica, but we Europeans have found that properly trained drivers AND properly functioning cars do wonders for road safety! Simple things like not toleration ANY fluid leaks, be it brake fluid, oil or fuel, will do wonders for the safety of your vehicle.
You 'Muricans may not yet have figured this one out, but hopefully you will, within a generation or two.
Maybe you will also figure out that a "well regulated" gun culture will do wonders for the acute lead poisoning epidemic that is plaguing 'Murican society these days, but that will probably take a number of decades for you slowpokes to figure out...
It not just to keep your car in legal shape per se. It is for your and everyone elses safety.
It is above all to fill the nanny state's pockets. A bottomless pit.
@@Jean-Jacques-f9xthat’s utter nonsense
My 21 year old car failed this year on wiper blades and a brake light! Garage fixed it with in an hour.
You also need an mot cert. In order to get insurance,which you need in order to your vehicle registration which can cost UpTo £450 the bigger the car engine .you can retest your car one month early so that if it fails you still have a valid certificate and you can take your car anywhere to fix it if you do it within two weeks the new test is free. Your seat belts should be in good condition not frayed no oil or grease on it and properly secured .
The MOT fails means your car is unsafe for you and every other road user, no MOT also invalidates your insurance so any accident will have the police come down on you for driving illegally and probably charge you.
Really puts some of the horrific state the cars shown on the "Just rolled in" channel into context when you hear the customer declined repairs and drove away.
You can have rust on body panels etc but not on structural components.
In Sweden at least you are always allowed to drive shortest possible way to a mechanic even if the car has completely failed inspection. The inspection usually takes maybe 20 min here. You have a time window every year to do it depending on when the car was registered. Otherwise it automatically gets a ban from the road until you do it.
If its a minor problem its sometimes enough to fix it until next inspection. Else you have a month to fix it. A re-inspection after a fail is much cheaper. And they only check that part specifically.
We don't change number plates yearly but have to pay car tax depending on emissions. Could be 0 to probably £700 a year. If your car is older than 40 years, they become tax free and MOT exempt
I know in New Jersey up until 1999 ( that's when I moved out of state), they had an annual inspection that would check emissions, lights, horn, turn signals, tires, brakes, some times ball joints, and Ive seen some fail for broken tail lights and even rust . You also had to have it registered and insured before you go to inspection. This was standard, no matter the age of the vehicle. Now, all of this may have changed since I moved.
A sticker? The US uses stickers on the licenseplate in 2025? I haven't seen that in +20 years... We also pay roadtax every year, but that money goes to maintaining roads/infrastructure (and not sticker printing). When you fail an inspection overhere, ther are different levels and it has to be pretty bad to get an immediate driving ban. Usually you get 30-days to correct/repair and come back for re-inspection. During the 30-days you are only allowed to drive the shortest way to and from the workshop. That has to do with both safety but also insurance. You wont be covered by insurance if you get into an accident with a vehicle that has failed inspection.
So I learned even more today about why America has so much of, what I call "shadow taxation". Because i believe you guys pay a lot, and I mean a lot to the insurance companies... In all forms of insurance matters.
Maintaining roads... seriously 🤣 that ended when they changed the name from road tax to VED. Round by me we can give directions based on pot holes 🤣🤣🤣
In Finland we have a similar system, but in addition to the UK MOT we also have OBD readings taken, checking that no warning lights are burning and testing the suspension (bearings, play, shock absorbers) on an actual shaker. Brakes and e-brake/handbrake are tested on a dyno. Generally non structural surface rust is allowed, but rust compromising the structure is naturally not ok, this includes the car’s floor and sills.
Some smaller shortcomings might leave an advisory, but will not fail an inspection, for example i had an advisory once on break lights being constantly on (an issue with the brake light switch). Note: this did not fail the inspection. Any ”larger” shortage will result in a fail, for example bad wheelbearings, play in suspension parts, an error light burning, uneven braking force outside allowable limits, and much much more.
Here in Finland most fails will give you a month of extra driving time to get any issues fixed before a reinspection. The reinspection will only check the failed item/items. If the vehicle is deemed dangerous and unfit for the public road, no extra time is very possible, and driving is not allowed
you think the UK test is harsh,
im British and now live in Switzerland, the MFK which is there version of the MOT is a NIGHTMARE, the car CAN fail if its dirty, inside or out, i have to have a new MFK for new brakes fitted or new wheels or any change to the vehicle, same goes for bikes.
i have 2 motorbikes identical, but 1 is 2000 built and the other is 2001 BOTH are different on the test regulations. hell the bike can fail for a colour change or a sticker on the bodywork that wasnt done by the dealer or qualified garage.
germany isnt much better with how they test vehicles, the inspection is like they do a full check for say a concourse Auction for a restoration. its mind blowing.
in the USA you SHOULD have these tests, i would say MINIMUM 50% of the vehicles on the road would 100% fail and never be allowed to go on the roads ever again and be crushed.
and Yes some cars have a Lock on the fuel filled cap either internal button or with your car key. this is to stop people stealing your fuel or people putting things in to set fire tot he car via the tank inlet
In Switzerland, their rationale for cars needing to be clean is that they say if the car is dirty, they cannot properly inspect it. They might simply refuse to carry out part of the checks and say come back with a clean car. Yeah, and of course you still pay for each appointment.
MFK is most brutal in Europe.Cars had to be washed also in Serbia until few years ago ,if they saw that is not perfectly clean would just say go away .But now they dont require it.Until few years ago test were also brutal here and i would had traumas going to inspection (like i failed because i did not have middle back seat head rest or i failed becase had small dent on the hood ) but now is relatively normal
in the uk the number plate stays with the car. You insure the car and not the plate. any mods you do , you have to let the indurer know that you have changed things and your insurance will go up if not standard car
Sounds weird, insurance doesn't cover your car anyway, just the damages you cause to a 3rd party.
@@TheKarlShow
Fully comprehensive insurance covers all parties.
@@brianmurphy8790 That's up to you if you even want it. You only need the normal insurance that covers damage you cause.
If we're talking about legal side of things, including this voluntary insurance is strange, as technically you could even insure your cat or dog if you want to.
@@TheKarlShow So if you are in an accident that is your fault & you only have 3rd party insurance that means you have to buy a a replacement if it is written off or pay all the repair costs.
@@zetectic7968 Yes, that's normal and who do you imagine writes it off then if you don't have full coverage? It will be up to you to decide if you want to fix it or not.
Unless you buy a brand new expensive car or lease, having full coverage is pretty much useless, unless you just are so bad at driving that you should be banned anyway.
In UK cars seem to be dirt cheap compared to rest of Europe anyway, so it baffles me to think people get full coverage for a vehicle that is worth like 10k or even less.
Never ever seen a problem with making sure all safety items work. Almost all the modifications to vehicles in the USA would make them illegal to drive here! Test cost around $60. Registration (tag) $600. NSW in Oz
Honestly it's pretty safe to say that all vehicles over 7 years old in USA would fail this test. Heck Some makes struggle to pass over 80% of their cars in 4 years here, and now let's take in to account that most cars here tend to drive only 50-70% annually compared to cars in USA.
It's over 100 miles away? it's FAR away. and in USA that would be almost neighborhood.
11:40 Aftermarket parts. Tires / Rims / Exhaust etc.
Exhaust loudness has limit, at least in most of Europe, it might vary nation to nation, as every nation has slightly different rules (For example in France you may not increase power from stock. In Spain the vehicle weight may not change, and so on.)
Tires and wheels, as long as they have suitable speed rating, weight rating, and are at least same size as stock (no notable increase in width or diameter) you are good. Most European nations want you to get your car inspected for those tires.
For example My car stock tire is 215/65/16, I cannot run 205/60/16 there, mostly due to weight rating. I could run 225/55/17, as it's almost same size, but for 235/45/18 I need to get my car inspected for those tires. (no rubbing, not sticking outside of wheel well.) Also where i live spacers are forbidden, so in case I happen to find really good looking wheels, but the offset is slightly too high, and it rubs on suspension, I cannot "correct" it with a spacer, which would bring the tire quarter inch further out, and it wouldn't rub. I would have to get another wheels.
13:50 As for failure.
My nation, it depends on the fault.
If i have: one tail light out, Pass, just get it fixed.
If I have: one headlight, one tail light, and one brake light out. it's fail. you can drive for 1 month, but within that month you have to bring it back, and show that it's fixed.
If I have: High emissions. Same thing.
If you don't bring it back in that month, it goes in to car registery, and any police vehicle you pass that has lisence plate reading camera will alert, and that might lead to car getting impounded.
If I have: slight play in my steering rack. nothing that would prevent driving, and using the car still for decent time. Fail, You get a big red sticker on your windshield, come back with a tow truck or trailer.
22:00 When?
car was first registered on let's say May 4th. 1999
first inspection 30 days prior to May 4th. 2003
After that Annually 30 days prior to May 4th. of whatever the current year happens to be.
As a former Class 4 and current heavy vehicle tester I can answer a few questions
The exhaust being too loud is a fail but test centres aren't equipped to measure volume. As a fail can be contested which could end up in court most sensible testers won't fail an aftermarket louder exhaust but a head back straight pipe could fail.
Car MOT test centres cannot stop you from driving away unless you haven't paid for the test. When it comes to heavy vehicle (HGVs, trailers and busses) can be issued with a roadworthiness prohibition for really dangerous fails (I had to issue one today on a horse box lorry that had burst a brake pipe as I was testing it)
We don’t have annual testing like this in Australia, but whenever a used car is sold, it needs a roadworthy certificate before it can be registered. Id be interested to know how it’s handled in America
Yes we do. e.g. in NSW its called a rego check or pink slip and is required for vehicles more than 5 years old.
So Australia is a 3rd world country by EU standards, road safety, road infrastructure and driving culture.
@@LeoSag-b7p And the EU is a 3rd world communist shithole by anyone else's standards, but it seems like even they are fed up now.
@@LeoSag-b7p I’d normally assume baseless unprovoked nastiness like this is from an Italian but Italians shouldn’t feel proud of their road infrastructure or how their drivers conduct themselves
@ Thanks for the extra context , I kinda knew I was generalising with what I said…
It's the same in Australia, (with differences in frequency, State to State). In NSW (I believe) it's every year, here in Qld it's every time the vehicle is sold, unless otherwise ordered by Police. The Police can (and do) pull you over and order you to get something fixed (defect notice) (a "Canary" in Aussie slang, because the defect notice is yellow) or they can order a complete "Roadworthy inspection" which is the same as the "MOT" described here.
If the "Rozzers" pull you over and give you a "Canary", your car is ordered off the road until it's fixed.
The MOT test:
Every Floridian's worst nightmare!! 🤣
Pay a little extra and the test will be less harsh 😂
@nasheeds8218 or just don't go then hide in the Everglades for a couple of days and then you're off the hook.
Light vehicles here in New Zealand are required to do WOF (Warrant Of Fitness) inspections, & depending on the age of the car the time period between each inspection changes (vehicles first registered before the year 2000 = every 6 months, vehicles first registered from 2000 & beyond = every 12 months).
WOF inspections include checking tire condition, brake condition, structural condition (rust isn't allowed in certain areas), light bulbs, windshield, windshield washers & wipers, doors, seat belts, airbags (if fitted), speedometer, steering & suspension, exhaust system (no leaks), fuel system (also no leaks).
WOF inspections won't include checking the engine, clutch, gearbox, differential, lubricant levels, brake pad thickness or life expectancy (unless visibly unsafe), paintwork condition, or rust (in non-structural areas).
The more I learn about america , the less I want to go
In our state of Victoria, these tests abd inspections are only done when transfering registration to another person. Car Sale.
We used to buy and sell Cars a fair bit in my younger years abd we always gave the Inspector something to find. Usually a blows light, worn wiper or something similar that was easy to fix for the 2nd Inspection. The thinking was that if the Car was too good they would keep looking 👀 until they found something, so we gave them a few to find quickly. It generally worked. 🇦🇺
UK trucks need to have an MOT inspection every three months. Especially important here as they drive through towns and villages a lot more than in the US.
I never that! thank you
UK trucks and buses also have to have Periodic Maintenance Inspections every 8-10 weeks, which cover most of the items in the MOT test, including brake tests. These are often carried out in-house, or by the company's regular maintenance contractor. Detailed records of these inspections have to be kept, and made available to Ministry inspectors when required.
@thomas_oak2943
Trucks don't require an mot every 3 months,they are required to be inspected/serviced between 5 and 10 weeks (which can be reduced/increased at vosa discretion) ,they usually service it at the same time. Mot is still annually . Most big hgv operators will do an additional inspection, prior to the MOT.
Yes some cars have locking fuel caps most are locked in some way released from inside the car too. Protects from someone ruining your engine adding something to your fuel or stealing from it.
The mot is getting progressively harder to pass.
It used to be a sensible annual safety test, irksome,but understandable.
Its still not as bad as the German standards but will get there as 2030 approaches.
Frankly its absolutely ridiculous that the USA doesnt have something similar.
The "just rolled in" channel on youtube shows some shocking examples, and the customers are allowed to refuse repairs and just drive off in the death traps.
The _department_ hasn't been called the Ministry of Transport since the mid-20th century (currently it's the DVSA - Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which merged the previous DSA - Driving Standards Agency - for driving tests - with the previous VOSA - Vehicle and Operator Standards Agency - for vehicle inspections) but the name "MOT" stuck for the annual vehicle inspection.
Driving licences and vehicle registration continue to be handled by the separate DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency).
I Germany they push the tests way higher
explain how .
The UK MOT test is basically an annual safety test. It is not an assurance the car will remain 100% safe for the following 12 Months. It is up to the owner or regular driver to ensure the vehicle remains compliant from day to day... If the UK police spot a vehicle which clearly has faults or issues making it unsafe to use, then they have the authority to remove it from the road until repairs are carried out....
That sounds really crazy that there is no such check in the USA?
The reason for the diesel emissions test warning is that once connected to the exhaust analysis machine the test involves running the engine at maximum revs (on the governor/ rev limit) for several seconds. If a cambelt snaps of the engine grenades, it's on you, not the mechanic.
On using aftermarket parts such as wheels, suspension, exhausts, that's no problem as long as the vehicle meets test conditions otherwise so the exhaust can't leak or be unsecure - noise is difficult as it's subjective and testers have to use judgement but if presented with a car that has a straight pipe and no silencers installed and is very loud, that would be an easy assessment to make. If it does have silencers but the noise is just more than standard then most will be accepted. With wheels/ tyres, you mention the offset, that is about the only risk, they must not protrude past the body or foul/ contact any part of the suspension or structure but that's about it.
I have submitted cars for MOT and passed, that were basically significantly home modified (a 1970's VW camper with a Alfa Romeo engine) but it was done properly so had no problems passing the test.
My brother-in-law who restores classic RS Cosworth Escorts is a certified MOT tester and mechanic. I've never failed. 😁
That’s nothing to be proud of. You could be driving a dangerous car which also poses a serious risk to other road users.
@MissSJ4429 did you even read what I wrote?
If my brother was fudging the results, he'd be in prison. He's 100% legit, and doesn't give me a free pass just because we're family. He has his own garage.
In fact, he's more strict with me because I drive his kids around.
My point "I've never failed" was due to that, rather than suggesting I get shortcuts on my MOT due to family ties.
@ I’m sorry I misjudged but that’s how it came across. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard about dodgy MOTs so I apologise I got it wrong.