Cars failing MoT tests as a result of being dirty may cost motorists £500,000 a year, according to research.
Half a million pounds is wasted each year on failed MoT tests, with dirty cars full of clutter being one of the chief reasons for a failure. A survey, conducted by WhatCar? magazine, found a whopping 2,852 cars failed their tests because their owners were too lazy to clean up beforehand.
285,236 MoT test failures were recorded between August 2012 and August 2013, according to the research. 4 per cent of these were on cars having their very first test. 800 vehicles failed because dashboard warning lights were illuminated and had been ignored. 4,600 cars failed because owners forgot to top-up windscreen washer fluids.
Emma Butcher, WhatCar?’s consumer editor, said: “There are some really simple things that every motorist can do to help a three-year-old car pass its first MoT test, but it’s amazing how many people don’t do them.”
Butcher revealed that 29 motorists’ cars failed the test due to their number plate being the wrong colour. More worryingly, 114 whose cars didn’t have a number plate at all.
Other common reasons for a car failing its MoT test include tyre tread depth being below the 1.6mm limit, headlamps being wrongly aimed and brake pads being worn down to less than 1.5mm thick.
You can use WhatCar?’s online tool to boost your car’s chances of passing its MoT test, and have a look at previous MoT failures. You can select your car via a drop-down menu to see what points your car failed on, including tyres, lights, suspension, registration plate, seat belts, and brakes.
Has your car failed its MoT for being dirty? Let us know in the comments below.
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