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Mot minimum requirement is 1.6 mm over 3/4 of the central tread pattern. The outer edges can be bald and as long as there are no cords visible. Then it’s a pass . All the info is available in the Mot test manual .
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The legal minimum tread depth for car tyres in the uk is 1.6 millimeters, across the central ¾ which is 75% of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre.
I wonder, does the garage where the test took place sell tyres?
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Indeed, we do the MOT at Kwik Fit across the road.
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Indeed, we do the MOT at Kwik Fit across the road.
Ah, now you may be talking. Even the most assiduous safety addicts on here don't bother to change their tyres before the tread depth reaches 2mm, so maybe KF is hoping you don't know how to check, and will obediently buy a full set from them. Or being more charitable, perhaps they think you will do a lot of miles in the next 12 months ?
I have seen a monstrous repair bill following a MoT at KF, amounting to about £1200, and that was after a 'discount' ....
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The "MOT" testing regime, called controle technique in France is carried out by testing stations who are not allowed to carry out any repairs or adjustments, they are purely testing stations, all of europe does the same.
Also, the test starts at 4 years from first registration, not 3 years as in the UK. and for cars is every other year after that, not every year.
So why does the UK tolerate the makey workey of these dishonest garages scamming their customers?
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The "MOT" testing regime, called controle technique in France is carried out by testing stations who are not allowed to carry out any repairs or adjustments, they are purely testing stations, all of europe does the same.
Also, the test starts at 4 years from first registration, not 3 years as in the UK. and for cars is every other year after that, not every year.
So why does the UK tolerate the makey workey of these dishonest garages scamming their customers?
It is possible to arrange no-commercial-conflict testing in the UK, at least in some places.
I used the London Borough of Enfield testing station when I lived in London, initially because it was the only non-HGV testing station I could get my Renault Dodge Ex-BT workshop truck done at, but later I took cars there too.
Test here in Taiwan is (I think) older than 3 years too, and is every 6 months, but since it only covers measurable stuff like brake function and emissions, that's OK
I found it was the "testers discretion" stuff that tended to put the lottery in the UK MOT
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The "MOT" testing regime, called controle technique in France is carried out by testing stations who are not allowed to carry out any repairs or adjustments, they are purely testing stations, all of europe does the same.
Also, the test starts at 4 years from first registration, not 3 years as in the UK. and for cars is every other year after that, not every year.
So why does the UK tolerate the makey workey of these dishonest garages scamming their customers?
First "MOT" due at 3 years in Austria. Testing workshops are allowed to do repairs. You can have the test done 3 months before or after the due date, but the 12 month validity always runs from the due date. The tested status is verified by an external sticker on the windscreen.
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>> Even the most assiduous safety addicts on here don't bother to change their tyres before the tread depth reaches 2mm
I assume you meant to say 3mm?
I certainly don't go into winter with tyres at 2mm.
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>> Even the most assiduous safety addicts on here don't bother to change their tyres before the tread depth reaches 2mm
I assume you meant to say 3mm?
I certainly don't go into winter with tyres at 2mm.
Same here!
For the OP, not only would I not use this MOT centre any more, I'd tell them why. I'd also complain to whatever governing body covers MOT centres. And, just for good measure, post a very damning review wherever I could, such as on Google (including, if poss, pics of the tread depth gauge on the tyres).
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Kwikfit, nuff said, Constantly trying to upsell and in this case worthy of a complaint.
It also goes against their own sustainability principals. How does potentially replacing tyres early due to their scaremongering reflect this statement?
"At Kwik Fit we’ve always taken our responsibility to the environment seriously,"
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Kwikfit, nuff said, Constantly trying to upsell and in this case worthy of a complaint.
It also goes against their own sustainability principals. How does potentially replacing tyres early due to their scaremongering reflect this statement?
"At Kwik Fit we’ve always taken our responsibility to the environment seriously,"
Be OK if they sold them on as used tyres to someone like me. Somehow I doubt they do though.
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It’s not just the fast fit outlets. A few years back our previously apparently trustworthy indie gave us 4 advisories for tyre tread. One for each tyre. He rang me to quote for a full new set but I declined as I knew they were fine. When I got home and checked the treads they were well over the minimum (4-6mm from memory). He admitted he hadn’t measured properly but wouldn’t reissue a clean MOT. Ironically I covered myself by getting a free printed tyre check at a fast fit outfit.
Needless to say I have since moved to another indie and he has never mentioned tyres at MOT time.
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Be OK if they sold them on as used tyres to someone like me. Somehow I doubt they do though.
I was at a car spares place, when a liveried 'fit quick' van turned up at an adjacent used tyre sales place and started unloading. When I commented I was told they do this a couple of times a week and informed: "where do you think all those tyres with punctures that can't be repaired end up".
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Be OK if they sold them on as used tyres to someone like me. Somehow I doubt they do though.
I was at a car spares place, when a liveried 'fit quick' van turned up at an adjacent used tyre sales place and started unloading. When I commented I was told they do this a couple of times a week and informed: "where do you think all those tyres with punctures that can't be repaired end up".
Thanks. Good to know
Its very rare that I find I've been too cynical; and quite common to find I havn't been cynical enough.
I try hard, too
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I assume you meant to say 3mm? I certainly don't go into winter with tyres at 2mm.
Have you evidence to show how much 'worse' a 2mm tyre is than a 3mm one ? Or are you just buying peace of mind ?
I meant to say what I said. Someone a long while ago advised to renew tyres at 1.6mm ** (which may have been 1/16" originally) presumably for some semi-scientific reason. Cars have got faster and heavier since then, so perhaps more safety margin is needed. I suspect the age of a tyre (and thus its hardness and grip) may be more of a consideration than its tread depth.
** Edit : in fact I have a dim memory that in the early days of MoT testing it was only 1mm - am I right ?
Edited by Andrew-T on 17/10/2021 at 09:49
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Yes , I think you are correct. 1mm of depth across 2/3 of the tread face . So pretty much dangerous. 1.6 mm is slightly better, but not much .
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Have you evidence to show how much 'worse' a 2mm tyre is than a 3mm one ? Or are you just buying peace of mind ?
A number of years ago Auto Express conducted a test using a selection of cars to examine the difference in wet weather braking (from 70mph) on tyres with the legal minimum of 1.6mm compared to with 3mm of tread (fair to say the difference between 1.6mm and 2mm is going to be marginal)
On a Renault Clio with 1.6mm the distance was 151m, with 3mm it was 113m
On a Ford Focus with 1.6mm the distance was 135m, with 3mm it was 91m
On a Toyota RAV4 with 1.6mm the distance was 155m, with 3mm it was 118m
On an Audi A4 with 1.6mm the distance was 127m, with 3mm it was 97m
Granted tyre technology will have advanced since then, so maybe the difference wouldn't be so great now, but it stands to reason that in wet weather that a small amount of tread depth is going to be considerably less effective at dispersing water.
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Granted tyre technology will have advanced since then, so maybe the difference wouldn't be so great now, but it stands to reason that in wet weather that a small amount of tread depth is going to be considerably less effective at dispersing water.
The tests do not take into account any type of dirt in the road and wet leaves, apart from any oil on the surface, so I wouldn`t take a lot of notice of testing they do, imo.
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Andrew-T states cars have got heavier and faster, but tyres have tended to get wider. I recall Michelin stating that with modern tyre technology, the minimum is no longer applicable. I can't see why and don't know if that applies to Chinese ditchfinders.
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Granted tyre technology will have advanced since then, so maybe the difference wouldn't be so great now, but it stands to reason that in wet weather that a small amount of tread depth is going to be considerably less effective at dispersing water.
The tests do not take into account any type of dirt in the road and wet leaves, apart from any oil on the surface, so I wouldn`t take a lot of notice of testing they do, imo.
The test was conducted at MIRA's dedicated wet road testing track. So while there may well have been some dirt/dust on the track depending on when last used, it is unlikely the test would have gone ahead with a lot of leaves lying on the track, they'd have cleaned it up first otherwise it is obviously going to affect the validity of the results.
But regardless of whether there were outside factors involved, it wouldn't change the most important aspects of the results, which isn't the braking distances per se, but the difference between 1.6mm and 3mm. All the tyres were subject to the same conditions, so even if there was debris on track, the overall braking distances might end up longer, but the difference between the 1.6mm and 3mm is still going to be the same proportionally.
Edited by badbusdriver on 17/10/2021 at 12:07
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Andrew-T states cars have got heavier and faster, but tyres have tended to get wider.
Presumably because they had to. As a side-effect of the increasing weight, the tyres, despite being wider to compensate, now last nothing like as long as before. Maybe something to do with more wear on the extra width helped by the unavoidable power steering.
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Andrew-T states cars have got heavier and faster, but tyres have tended to get wider.
Presumably because they had to. As a side-effect of the increasing weight, the tyres, despite being wider to compensate, now last nothing like as long as before. Maybe something to do with more wear on the extra width helped by the unavoidable power steering.
They may have had, but only up to a point. The width, diameter and profile of tyres these days has as much, if not more, to do with style and image than necessity.
The car I learned to drive in did actually have power steering, but my instructor was at pains to point why I shouldn't turn the steering wheel while the car was stationary. Even just creeping forward at a snails pace while turning makes all the difference. this is something which has stuck with me and I try to adhere to ever since. There is a woman across the road from me and I 'hear' her parking quite often. Because of the space constraints, she has to make quite a few shunts in her SUV, so I will hear her going from lock to lock, while stationary, at least three times and sometimes as much as six. I shudder think what a state her front tyres are in!.
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Because of the space constraints, she has to make quite a few shunts in her SUV, so I will hear her going from lock to lock, while stationary, at least three times
Happens all the time with parents taking kids to school in SUVs, the motors are too big for our roads and most appear to struggle steering them, but then if you buy a motor like that you expect to buy tyres quicker due to excessive steering you have to do on our small roads.
most cannot steer properly doing a 3 point turn and rarely do it in 5or 6 tries so its understandable tyres wear out quicker on them, I know someone with an X3 and complain of tyre cost, but they said they didn`t expect tyre wear to be a problem on it
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<< I know someone with an X3 and complain of tyre cost, but they said they didn`t expect tyre wear to be a problem on it. >>
Not only do they wear out fast, they cost a bomb as well, due to size. And of course we always hear the (fairly obvious) mantra 'they are your only contact with road', meaning you shouldn't think twice about the cost.
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I would not go into winter with tread depths less than 3mm. Occasional snow is bad enough with 5-6mm of tread on summer tyres- less than 3mm on summer tyres in winter is an invitation to sliding.
I have seen people in 4x4s with summer tyres skidding in snow . (One off road down a hill landed in a river and resulted in the subsequent death of driver due to hypothermia)
(I run Michelin Cross Climates with currently 5-6mm tread.)
Edited by madf on 17/10/2021 at 19:03
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I did one of Pat Ratcliffes (now sadly gone) experience days at Bretts transport and was surprised when I was told to turn the wheel when stationary in a forty tonner. I'd never do that in my own car.
I was also disappointed when driving an old rigid to find it had a synchro gearbox - I was double declutching!
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Have you evidence to show how much 'worse' a 2mm tyre is than a 3mm one ? Or are you just buying peace of mind ?
.... (fair to say the difference between 1.6mm and 2mm is going to be marginal)
On a Renault Clio with 1.6mm the distance was 151m, with 3mm it was 113m.
If we assume the loss of grip between 3 and 1.6mm is linear (probably only an approximation), the difference between 1.6 and 2mm will be about 30%, which I suggest is more than 'marginal'. My guess is that this Clio, with 2mm tyres, might stop in 135 metres or a bit more. Still worse than 113m, of course. Money can always be spent trying to make a small risk a little smaller, but the biggest risks come from the nuts behind the wheel(s). :-)
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>> Even the most assiduous safety addicts on here don't bother to change their tyres before the tread depth reaches 2mm
I assume you meant to say 3mm?
I certainly don't go into winter with tyres at 2mm.
I should really have a set of bald tyres for the "winter" here in Taiwan, to exploit the superior dry (season) braking performance,
But I don't. Too lazy..
Call me irresponsible
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