1st MOT - can it be done early?

[Kentish]

Hi All;

Does anyone know what the "rules" are with the 1st MOT at 3 years, can it be done one month early like you can with subsequent MOTs?

I seem to recall reading somewhere that you can't because it would not reflect well on the manufacturer and also would increase (potentially) warranty claims if a car was to fail inside of 3 years old and still inside the warranty period.

This is the very reason I'm asking really, I know the shocks are shot (done 30k miles and been replaced once already under warranty) we would need to plan on getting them done early if the MOT can only be done on/after 36 months. There could be other things of course hence I'd like to take it for MOT before the warranty expires

Thanks in advance

[rfn]

You could take a brand new car for an MOT if you so wished!
Taxi's etc have an MOT every year from new.
You'll only get 12 months - not 13 as you suggest (which you would if you had a current MOT certificate).

[hornetrider]

Shocks are shot already?? Blimey - is it an RS4?

[jsg612]

I believe that is correct, it's not mandatory to have one for the first three years, but it doesn't state that you can't if you so wish to.

[Ozzie Osmond]

I'm confused.

If the shocks are shot they need changing. Why waste £50 on an MOT?

If the shocks aren't shot they don't need changing. Why waste £50 on an MOT?

[mike13]

? Nissan Qashqai

[john_p]

You definitely can and it will run from the due date.
Always worth doing just before the warranty expires

[NoNeed]

On the three rare occasions I have purchased a car that is less than three years old I have taken everyone of them to my mate (an MOT tester)for a MOT before pruchase.
In two of the cases the vendor resisted but it was a case of no MOT no sale. It is worth it if you want to know what you are buying.
Of course being my mate he has checked the stuff not covered by the MOT too.

I probably wouldn't have bothered if they were from a proper dealer with good warranties though.

[GreigM]

you can do it 30 days before due.....it will be dated from due date, same as normal - so at 35 months

[marshalla]

GreigM said:

you can do it 30 days before due.....it will be dated from due date, same as normal - so at 35 months

You can get a car tested at any time - the 30 day/1month rule only applies if you want the new certificate to run from the end of the old one.

[NoNeed]

GreigM said:

you can do it 30 days before due.....it will be dated from due date, same as normal - so at 35 months

You can get it done at anytime providing you dont want a certificate.

[Ozzie Osmond]

NoNeed said:

You can get it done at anytime providing you dont want a certificate.

I thought they always issue a new certificate? It just expires a lot less than 12 months after the last one.

[NoNeed]

Ozzie Osmond said:

NoNeed said:

You can get it done at anytime providing you dont want a certificate.

I thought they always issue a new certificate? It just expires a lot less than 12 months after the last one.

My experience was with my mate so may not be normal but I once bought a car that was 12 months old it didn't need one, got my mate to do all the checks anyway. I assume most MOT testers would do this if asked/paid appropriately.

[Kentish]

Ozzie Osmond said:

I'm confused.

If the shocks are shot they need changing. Why waste £50 on an MOT?

If the shocks aren't shot they don't need changing. Why waste £50 on an MOT?

Yes, you are a bit

I take for MOT on the 3rd anniversary of registration (the same time the warranty expires); it fails on shocks so I asked for them to be replaced and they relieve my wallet of £400 or so for a new set .....the day before the shocks would have been under warranty. You see where I'm going with this.

I know the shocks need doing so I can take it back anytime between now and May but what else could it fail on and be covered by the warranty now before it expires?

I want to use the MOT to find other things if possible. I don't give a damn about spendign £50 but I do give a damn about spending hundreds on other things that can be covered by the warranty.

Yes, it is a Qashqai btw, good guess by the other poster above

Thanks for all the replies.

[Larry Dickman]

As NoNeed is saying, why don't you get a mechanic to check it over, preferably a friendly one. Failing that take it to an mot place & ask them to go through the motions but not put it through the system.

[kmc1]

I'm in a similar predicament. ABS light is on so it's booked in for next week before the warrantee runs out next month.MOT booked for the same time as I can't be bothered to bring it back four weeks later and lose the car for another day.

Garage didn't say anything about testing it too early so hopefully will be ok.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Kentish said:

I take for MOT on the 3rd anniversary of registration (the same time the warranty expires); it fails on shocks so I asked for them to be replaced and they relieve my wallet of £400 or so for a new set .....

Yeah, but isn't the shocks element of MOT just a visual inspection for leaking fluid? You could just stick your head under the car and take it in to the dealer if you see aleak and shout "warranty"!

Really, the chance of a car failing its first MOT on anything other than tyres, lights or windscreen wash/wipe is very small indeed.

[mcford]

It can be done 28 days early to retain an expiry date that matches your cars 4th anniversary of registration.

You may be disappointed in that it may not highlight any fault with the dampers as to fail they need to be very bad, virtually no damping effect or a significant fluid leak.

[m30dus]

Good topic OP. To the poster above who states 'the chances of a 3yr old car failing an MOT are naff all' - nonsense.

My 57 plate M3 went for it's MOT just before Christmas, a week late and consequently now out of warranty (was using other wheels due to bad weather and drove to MOT station with booked appointment). Having owned the car from new £55k and completed just 60k miles (mostly motorway), I was absolutely astounded when the car failed with:

Cracked exhaust manifold
High emissions
Leaking rear back box
Excessive play in rear suspension bushes

OK, the high emissions were due to the exhaust manifold being cracked and this leading to faulty lambda readings to the ECU, but it was a fairly damming list!

To top it off BMW don't give a damm, so I've put it down to experience (and a few laps of Croft more to the point!).

From now in it will be a golden rule to complete the first MOT within the warranty period, and that includes our company cars, also being BMW. Will be nice to have the chance to get the screws on the beggers. We have a 58 plates 3 series touring with 175k miles already, which should be good fun come the time.

Edited by m30dus on Sunday 16th January 08:21

[Ozzie Osmond]

m30dus said:

I've put it down to experience (and a few laps of Croft more to the point!

Congratulations. You've knackered your road car by ragging it round a circuit, which has very little to do with the way most cars are used in the first 3 years of their life. No surprise they told you to get knotted.