MOT Testing in Buckfast

A village beside Buckfast Abbey sees a lot of visitor traffic, and local vehicles share the road with it all year. Keeping every one of them roadworthy is the whole point of the MOT, and it is a job we do at Automaster.

Our garage is at Longcombe Cross near Totnes, close to the A38 and the edge of Dartmoor. Here is a plain guide to testing, fails, retests and booking, written for Buckfast drivers.

MOT testing near Buckfast: what do you offer?

For cars we provide the Class 4 MOT, and for vans the Class 7. We also carry out pre-MOT inspections, repair what fails and handle the retest. Drivers from Buckfast, Buckfastleigh, South Brent and Holne use the garage, and so do people from Totnes.

You can book online or by phone. If you are unsure which class your vehicle falls under, tell us the make and model and we will confirm it.

What will the tester look at on my vehicle?

Lights, brakes, tyres, steering, suspension, exhaust and emissions, seatbelts, mirrors, wipers and washers, registration plates and dashboard warning lights all come under the test. The tester also checks the condition of the body structure for anything that makes the vehicle unsafe.

Anything found is recorded against one of three grades, which we explain further down. None of it is meant to catch you out; it is a safety check, and knowing the result lets you plan.

• Brake condition and balance
• Tyre depth and damage
• Exhaust and emissions
• Seatbelts and mirrors

What do dangerous, major and minor mean on the sheet?

A dangerous fault is a serious risk and means you should not drive the vehicle at all. A major fault fails the test and has to be repaired before the car can pass. A minor fault is noted but allows a pass, and the tester may add advisories for parts that are wearing.

With so much extra traffic around the abbey, driving with a known brake or steering fault is simply not worth the risk. If the sheet says dangerous, speak to us about the repair before the car moves again.

Can a pre-MOT check save a second trip?

Most avoidable fails are small: a blown bulb, a split wiper blade, a tyre close to the limit. Checking these beforehand lets you fix them in one visit rather than returning for a retest later.

It is also an easy moment to mention a noise or a warning light, so that we can look into it before it becomes a fail on test day.

How does the MOT date work, and what about retests?

Your first MOT falls due when the vehicle is three years old, then each year. Testing up to a month minus a day early keeps your renewal date, which is handy if you want a quiet slot well ahead of your deadline.

After a fail, we can repair the vehicle and retest it. Retest and repair terms depend on the fault and the timing, so please ask us when you book, and ask for a quote for the repair work.