MOT Testing in Milber

If you live in Milber you are probably used to getting around fast. A residential area on the edge of Newton Abbot, with a nearby industrial estate and quick access to the A380, means many households here run a car for the school run and a van for work, and both need a valid MOT to stay legal.

We carry out MOT testing at Automaster, our garage at Longcombe Cross near Totnes. This page explains what the test covers, what the results mean, and how to avoid a failure you could have spotted yourself.

What does an MOT test check on my car or van?

An MOT is a roadworthiness inspection, not a service. The tester looks at lights and indicators, brakes, tyres and wheels, steering and suspension, the exhaust and emissions, the driver's view of the road through the windscreen and wipers, seatbelts, registration plates, the horn, and the condition of the body where damage or sharp edges could be a safety risk. Dashboard warning lights are checked too, so a lit warning symbol can lead to a fail.

Cars are tested as Class 4. Vans up to the usual light goods weight are tested as Class 7, and the checks are broadly the same with allowances for the heavier load.

• Lights, indicators and horn
• Brakes, tyres and wheels
• Steering and suspension
• Exhaust, emissions and warning lights

What do dangerous, major and minor mean on an MOT result?

Defects are graded. A dangerous defect means the vehicle should not be driven until it is fixed. A major defect is also a fail and needs repair before the vehicle can pass. A minor defect is recorded but the vehicle can still pass, and advisories flag things that are wearing and worth watching.

If your car fails with a dangerous item such as a badly worn brake or a damaged steering part, please do not keep driving it. Ask us about the repair and the retest instead.

Should I get a pre-MOT check in Milber before the real test?

A pre-MOT inspection is a sensible look over the same items before the official test. It is often a tyre, a bulb, a wiper blade or a worn brake part that causes a fail, and spotting these early means they can be put right in one visit rather than needing a retest.

If something does turn up, we can carry out MOT repairs here. Whether a failure repair and retest can be handled together depends on the fault and the timing, so ask when you book.

Do you cover Milber, and where do I bring the vehicle?

Yes, drivers from Milber, Newton Abbot, Abbotskerswell, Stoke-in-Teignhead and Teignmouth bring their cars and vans to us. The garage is at Longcombe Cross, Longcombe, near Totnes, TQ9 6PL, so use that postcode in your satnav.

You can book by phone or online. Tell us the make, model and registration, and whether it is a car or a van, so we can allocate the right test.

How does the MOT date work, and what drives the cost of repairs?

A new vehicle needs its first MOT when it reaches three years old. After that it is yearly. You can have the test up to a month minus a day before the current certificate runs out and still keep the same renewal date, which is handy if you want time to fix anything that comes up.

Repair time and cost depend on the fault, the parts needed for your vehicle and how much labour is involved. We do not guess before looking, so please ask for a quote once we know what is needed.