Not everything fits neatly into brakes, tyres or lights. This section covers the odds and ends that still fail plenty of cars: driveshaft gaiters, fuel system leaks, doors and catches, and towing equipment.
Not everything fits neatly into brakes, tyres or lights. This section covers the odds and ends that still fail plenty of cars: driveshaft gaiters, fuel system leaks, doors and catches, and towing equipment.
Individually they're not common, but between them they account for a decent slice of the failures I see, and most are cheap to fix if they're caught early.
If your wording isn't here, run it through the decoder — it searches every entry we've written, not just the ones on this page.
Constant velocity joint gaiter damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt
The rubber boot protecting a constant velocity joint has split. Once it's open, the grease flings out and road grit gets in, and the joint itself starts wearing rapidly — that's what causes the clicking on full lock people describe.
Fuel system leaking
Fuel is escaping from somewhere in the system — a pipe, union, tank, filter housing or injector seal. Even a weep is treated seriously, because fuel and hot exhaust components in the same area is exactly how car fires start.
Full explanation of Fuel system leaking
Door or bonnet does not close securely
A door, bonnet or boot doesn't latch and stay shut as it should. On the bonnet, the secondary safety catch is also checked — that's the one that stops the bonnet coming up into the windscreen if the primary catch releases at speed.
Full explanation of Door or bonnet does not close securely
Engine has an oil leak
Oil is escaping from the engine. A weep or a light film is normally an advisory. It becomes a failure when the leak is dripping so badly it could reach the road or a hot component, or where it has contaminated something safety-related like a brake or a suspension bush.
Full explanation of Engine has an oil leak
How other mot items defects are graded
Every MOT defect is recorded as dangerous, major or minor. Dangerous and major both fail the test; the difference is that a dangerous defect means the car is not roadworthy and must not be driven away. A minor defect passes but is recorded on the certificate, and an advisory is a note that something is wearing and will need attention before the next test. Tester notes in the other mot items section use standard DVSA wording, which is why the phrasing on your certificate looks nothing like plain English — the pages above translate it.
Getting a other mot items failure put right
You are free to take the car anywhere for the repair — there is no obligation to have the testing station do the work, and getting a second opinion on a big quote is sensible. Ask for the failed item to be shown to you on the ramp; a genuine defect is always something a mechanic can point at. Once repaired, a partial retest within ten working days covers the listed items without paying a second full test fee.
Avoiding it next year
Most other mot items failures are found on a pre-MOT check for a fraction of the cost of a failure plus retest, because they are inspected before the clock is running. An MOT at Bob's Mechanical Repairs in Birnam, Dunkeld is £54.85, and anything found is explained and priced before work is agreed. Bob has 32 years on the tools, so the advice you get is what he would do with his own car.
Common questions
Can I drive away after a other mot items MOT failure? Only if the old certificate is still valid and the defect is not dangerous. A defect recorded as dangerous means the car must not be driven on the road until it is repaired, and driving it can mean a fine and points.
Do I pay again for the retest? If the car is left at the testing station and the repair is done there, the partial retest is usually free. If you take it away and bring it back within ten working days, a partial retest is free for the listed items; after that a full test fee applies.
What does an advisory in this section mean? An advisory is a pass with a warning: the item is not bad enough to fail today but is wearing. Advisories on the same item two years running are the ones worth acting on before they become failures.
Decode your exact MOT wording or browse all MOT failure categories.