I have a 20 year old car - should I be dreading the new MoT? | Ask Honest John

I have a 20 year old car - should I be dreading the new MoT?

I drive a 19 year old Toyota Land Cruiser with almost 200K on the clock. I'm worried about the new tougher MoT. Presumably my old engine must be spitting out a bit of smut. If it fails and it is uneconomic to repair, I assume it has zero trade-in part-ex value and becomes worthless? Therefore would it be a wise tactic to look for a replacement now and squeeze some part-ex value from it on the basis of its remaining MoT? Or would I be better just negotiating a discount without the hassle of a part-exchange?

Asked on 22 June 2018 by wightvanman

Answered by Dan Powell

I’d recommend sticking with what you’ve got. The resale value will be low and your Land Cruiser should pass the MoT if it’s in a good condition, with the new rules on diesel exhaust smoke only applying to Euro5 cars. Likewise, your Toyota won’t be affected by the new DPF rules becomes it simply doesn’t have one.

There are a few things that will be tested for the first time. These include if tyres are under-inflated and if the brake fluid has been contaminated. I’d recommend putting your car through a good routine service - this should pick up any potential MoT failure points.

For all the details on the new MoT rules, see: www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/legal-motoring-advice/20.../

Tags: mot new mot test

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