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MOT Same Day - While-U-Wait
Family Run Garage, 20 + Years Experience
Free MOT Re-Test
Any Car, Any Age
Class 4, 5 & 7 MOT
Main Dealer Quality – Independent Prices
Monday - Saturday
Unbiased, Honest Advice, On Site Repair Work If Required
A) We have facilities to test more than one vehicle at a time and offer numerous slots every day. You can book here online or call us on 01323 643333 to book a slot at your convenience.
A) You can book you vehicle in for MOT up to 28 days before the current expiry date on your certificate, which will then preserve the same anniversary date of the MOT, so you do not lose any time remaining on your current MOT. If you have your test carried out a month before the due date, your MOT is effectively valid for 13 months.
Example: if your current certificate expires on 20th March, you can take the test between 21st February and 20th March and the new certificate will be valid until midnight 19th March the following year.
We offer our customers a free text reminder service (no marketing texts are sent and our customer lists are not sold to third parties) to remind you that your MOT is due 30 days before expiry.
A) You can have an MOT carried out on your vehicle at any time, but if it is taken more than a calendar month before the expiry of your current certificate, the new certificate will be valid for 12 months from the test date.
Example: if your current certificate expires on 20th March and you had the test on 19th February, your new certificate would be valid until 19th February the following year.
A) If your certificate has become lost or damaged, we can easily provide you with a new one. We only need your vehicle registration number. A fee may be applicable (up to a maximum of £10).
A) The test takes approximately 45 minutes, however please allow up to an hour in case any minor repairs are needed. Please arrive at least 5 minutes before your appointment (you can bring your car in any time from opening onwards). You are very welcome to wait in our clean and comfortable customer waiting area whilst your vehicle is tested. We have a selection of current magazines and a hot drinks machine to help to make your visit that bit more comfortable.
A) The MOT test is designed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to test whether vehicles that are driven on public highways are roadworthy to and meet current minimum road safety and environmental standards. You should be aware that the MOT certificate is not a guarantee of the general mechanical condition of your car - you should have your car regularly serviced to maintain its mechanical condition.
The main items that are checked during the MOT are listed here.
Almost half of all items failed during MOT tests could be avoided by the vehicle owner carrying out simple checks and maintenance on items like lights, wiper blades and tyres so that your vehicle has the greatest chance to pass it's MOT first time!
A) The MOT tester will need to check that all doors, bonnet and boot is capable of being opened and secured. All seats will need to be placed in the upright position, and all seats must be placed in the seating position on 7 seaters. Seat belt buckles must not be tucked under or behind seats so they can be checked during the test. Check your vehicle has sufficient oil and coolant as engines must be run to temperature for emissions testing. Remove all obstructions from the windscreen such as sat navs, mobile phone cradles and any items hanging from internal mirrors.
If your MOT has already expired, you are legally permitted to drive your vehicle, without current MOT and Tax (although you must still have appropriate third party insurance in force) to and from Southern Co for an MOT as long as you have pre-booked your appointment with us. Alternatively, we can arrange to collect your car and bring it for MOT.
Have you left yourself enough time? There's no need to leave the test to the last minute - an MOT can be done up to a month before your last one runs out, meaning you can avoid last-minute panics and give yourself time to organise any repair work that might be required.
Before bringing your car to Southern Co, make sure you have:
Are all the lights working, including the rear registration lamp (both if there is more than one) and brake lights, and are the lenses free from damage and secured to the vehicle ?
After your car has successfully passed its MOT, you might think you're set for another 12 months of worry-free driving, but that's not always the case.
Remember these following points :
Should your vehicle fail the MOT, it will need repairs and cannot legally be driven on the public roads. Unless directly to or from a place of repair. We can carry out any repairs required, including brakes, tyres, welding and emissions repairs, with almost all items able to be carried out in our well equipped workshop, usually the same day. You will be kept fully informed of any repairs required and costs will be notified to you before any work is authorised so you are kept fully informed throughout
If your vehicle has been found to have a dangerous failure, be aware that it an offence to drive the vehicle on a public road or highway, you could be stopped by Police, be prosecuted, fined, Disqualified from driving and have your vehicle seized and that your insurance is likely to be invalidated.
If you have your repairs carried out with Southern Co, the retest is free and we will issue an MOT certificate when repair works are complete. If you choose to have your car repaired elsewhere, you can still bring it back to us for a partial retest within 10 days of the initial test. If you bring your car back after 10 working days, you will be charged for a full MOT.
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