MOT testing in Oxford

If you wish to appeal the results of your MOT, you will need to follow the same process as you would with a private provider. 

A Class 4 MOT takes about an hour to complete and covers:

• tyres and wheels

• brakes

• horn

• exhaust

• mirror

• doors

• exhausts emissions

• tow bar

• boot tailgate

• seats

• vehicle structure

• fuel system

• seat belt and SRS

• steering and suspension

• wipers and washer

• windscreen

• electrical

• lights

• registration plate

• bonnet.

ODS carries out repairs at our test station. If the vehicle is retested before the end of the next working day on one or more of the following items, there will be no additional fee:

• bonnet

• boot lid

• brake pedal antislip

• direction Indicators

• doors

• dropsides

• fuel filler cap

• hazard warning

• horn

• lamps

• loading door

• mirrors

• registration plate

• seat belts (but not anchorages)

• seats

• sharp edges or projections

• steering wheel

• tailboard

• tailgate

• VIN

• windscreen and glass

• windscreen wipers

• windscreen washers

• wheels and tyres.

If the vehicle is removed from the testing station for repair and returned for retesting within 10 working days following the day of the initial failure, then only a partial retest is needed and a partial retest fee may be charged.

Only one partial re-examination is permissible per full examination. In any other case, a full re-examination and full fee will be required.

As an owner of a vehicle for personal or commercial use, it is your legal responsibility to ensure an annual MOT inspection is carried out.

You’ll need to take your car into a centre for its first MOT once the vehicle is three years old, and then every year thereafter.

Before making your booking, which should take place one month before your current MOT certificate expires, you should take into consideration the age and condition of your car.

Nearly 40 percent of cars will fail MOTs the first time. But, in many cases, the reason for failure is preventable.

You need to look at reasons for common failure (e.g. check your lights, the suspension, and the brakes) and put right any issues you discover either yourself or by instructing a professional mechanic. Some garages offering MOTs will be particularly harsh when carrying out the test, so as to upsell you with expensive repairs, so make sure to avoid this at all costs by going to a reputable and independent service centre.

• Given that 18 percent of vehicles fail on account of broken lights, making sure these are in working order prior to taking your car in for MOT is essential. Have a friend or coworker help you test your indicators, head and tail lights, and your brake lights.

• Suspension is another top cause of MOT failure - 12 percent of vehicles failed a suspension check. You should ensure shock absorbers are in place - you can do this by applying pressure to each side of the car and seeing how quickly it springs back to a neutral position.

• Ensure your tyres are fully inflated - you can do this by using a tyre pressure checker and measuring the results against the outlines in your car manual.  

• Ensure your oil levels are safe prior to an MOT.

• While it may be the case that only seven percent of vehicles failed due to windscreen and windscreen wiper issues, these are also some of the easiest to check. Inspect your screen for cracks and make sure the front and rear wipers are fully operational and there’s no leakage of windscreen wiper fluid.