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Garage has warned that my car may fail it MoT due to new EU tests

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MoT changes: Older cars now face more stringent tests

My Vauxhall is due for MoT next month but my regular garage has warned me already that it may fail as there are some new tests that it has to pass under EU laws.

Could your motoring experts please explain? It may mean I have to fork out more on repairs or even have to get a new car. Via email.

Linda Mckay of This Is Money replies: Hard-pressed motorists have to deal with increasing road tax, fuel rises and now it seems the possibility of further costly repairs if their vehicle fails its MoT.

An additional 15 boxes on the MoT checklist will now need to be ticked before cars are deemed legal to be on the road.

The changes, which include stringent checks on warning lights, handbrakes and wiring, were introduced in January last year. But it is only now that they become mandatory. I asked our experts for clarification.

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Ian Crowder, of the AA, replies: Your correspondent is right, a new MoT test regime came into effect from March 20 which sadly means that many older cars may well end up on on the scrapheap as repairs may be just too expensive to justify.

For instance, an airbag fault indicated by the SRS light on the dashboard would be a MoT test failure and the cost of fitting new airbags is very high*.

 

Gavin Hill-Smith adds: This is the biggest shake-up of the MoT system for more than 20 years. A huge amount of additional items will need to be checked.

The changes include some basic checks like the steering wheel lock and driver's seat adjustment but mostly reflect modern car safety features, for example, tyre pressure monitoring systems, xenon lights, airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners.

Andy Smith, also of the AA, says: If you've been happily ignoring a warning light because it's not part of the MoT, it could have expensive consequences if you have been running an old car on a tight budget.

These changes are long overdue as airbags, for example, have been widely fitted since the mid-Nineties. It's important that these systems remain safe and effective for your own sake.

The new testable components have been included since last January on an advisory basis but will now become fail items where defects are found. Please check our website for further help.

Linda Mckay adds: If you know a friendly mechanic you may prefer to get a pre-MoT costing on anything needed on your vehicle which would at least give you the option to put it through the test or change the car before the MoT due date.

Your car will not be penalised if it does not have a particular feature on the checklist, but if it does, the feature must be working.

*Previously the article wrongly stated that an airbag which had passed its expiry date would result in an MoT test failure. This has now been changed.

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