Ask Honest John

Honest John Ask Honest John » Will the new MOT regulations force older cars off the road?

Will the new MOT regulations force older cars off the road?

The latest heavy-handed MoT legislation by the EU will force many perfectly safe, usable, older cars off the road. The costs of rectifying faulty warning lights will, in most cases, be prohibitive, particularly in relation to the cars' values. Even just a blown bulb will be buried deep in the instrument board. Ironically those cars most likely to be affected will be sturdy, up-market models like Volvo and BMW while cheaper tin-ware without airbags will be OK. As usual, the less well-off owner/driver will be hit the hardest. Our 5-driver family has covered a collective 1.8 million miles without needing an airbag, or even a seat belt. Where is the statistical evidence that these new measures are needed?

Asked on 27 April 2013 by JM, York

Answered by Honest John
The EC is in the hands of big European component manufacturers. That is why it legislates complex ‘safety’ equipment into cars, then legislates compulsory testing of that equipment that either forces expensive replacements or renders the car an economic write off. It does not compel the manufacturers of the parts to warrant them for at least the seven-year ‘life’ of a modern car. You should have objected two years ago when the MoT changes were first proposed. They were supposed to come into force in January 2012, but were delayed, then delayed, then delayed again. Your objection is simply far too late.

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide
Similar questions
The DPF light is showing on my 2008 Mazda 5 diesel. Some say it is the better option (and legal) is to remove the filter altogether. Any suggestions?
A local company has offered to remove the DPF from my Golf estate, reprogram the ECU and leave it looking identical underneath. They claim better mpg and power and, obviously, no blockages caused by short...
We have a 2007 MINI Cooper S convertible. At its recent MoT we were told the car has failed as both the headlight washers are not working. The probable reason given for the fault was "driving on bumpy...