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Buying a car with no MOT
dave_424 - 10/8/16 at 11:10 AM

Hi guys, I am looking to purchase a car that is a 4 hour drive from my home. The car has no MOT, am I right in thinking that I can book said car in at my local MOT station, drive it there (4 hours), and if it fails, return to my home where I will carry out any repairs/maintenance?

The vehicle will be taxed and insured, I have been told it is in good running and driving condition.


loggyboy - 10/8/16 at 11:13 AM

Grey area. But mot coppers are sensible and if its insured wont care.
Most ive driven doing same thing is an hour.
And it wont be taxed.

[Edited on 10-8-16 by loggyboy]


r1_pete - 10/8/16 at 11:16 AM

This comes up a lot, and I think the following is about the best explanation, but personally I would pay to get it transported:

You can drive a vehicle without an MoT to a pre-arranged MoT station for the MoT to be carried out. But the vehicle must have adequate insurance cover.

There is no specified maximum allowable distance in the DVLA rules that are given on line. So, in theory, you could do what you describe. However, the fact that there is no clear indication that you can't does not necessarily infer that you can.

The risk is that, in the event of being stopped by the police, you are then in the hands of police and magistrates. They will apply their own interpretation of the circumstances. If they decide you are gulty of an offence, then you would have no grounds to appeal against it, because (a) as far as I can tell, there is no specific allowance to do what you propose, and (b) the DVLA will not change their wording to clarify your action as acceptable. You then also have the added concern that the insurance company may deem your cover to be invalid because of the related offence; and very possible if you were unfortunate to be involved in a road accident during this time, giving the insurers a good chance to get off the hook.


ReMan - 10/8/16 at 11:21 AM

Forget the legal, but 4 hours is quite a trip for a car with no MOT. Not because of any safety, but because its obviously not been used for some time.
So I guess consider breaking down in the middle of the 4 hr drive and what that may bring too.

Technically it wont be taxed either as it changes ownership


hizzi - 10/8/16 at 11:31 AM

get it transported no mot means your insurance may also be void, booking a test and driving four hours is taking the preverbial . presume the seller has sorned as well so the first police car you pass will have you and probablyi impound and maybe crush.


loggyboy - 10/8/16 at 11:50 AM

quote:
Originally posted by hizzi
no mot means your insurance may also be void, ..... presume the seller has sorned as well so the first police car you pass will have you and probablyi impound and maybe crush.

Rubbish and rubbish.

[Edited on 10-8-16 by loggyboy]


adithorp - 10/8/16 at 12:32 PM

How are you going to tax it without MOT?


SteveWalker - 10/8/16 at 01:07 PM

Driving 4 hours or so to an MOT might. be deemed taking the piss. What though of taking it straight to an MOT local to the seller? If it passes, you have no problem and if it fails (unless dangerous to drive), surely no-one can have issue with driving it home as the rules clearly state that you can do that and you can show that you tried to MOT it as locally as possible.


dave_424 - 10/8/16 at 02:06 PM

Thanks guys, you've pretty much said what I thought.

I agree that it's not really a sensible thing to do and that the distance may not sit well with the plod. I've seen another car much more local so will be checking that one out first.


axle - 10/8/16 at 02:10 PM

I agree with all the above's, but the spot check is easy for the boys in blue these days, they will spot the car without an MOT in flash than consequence of that can be worse than any thing get it transported.


02GF74 - 10/8/16 at 05:50 PM

They dont need to spot. Pretty sure some cars are equiped with front and rear facing cameras with apnr that will flag up any dodgey vehicles.


ianhurley20 - 10/8/16 at 06:28 PM

Over several decades I have bought cars with no mot and driven them to my local MOT testing station that I trust. Never had an issue, the last was a BMW X1 which was 3 years and 4 days old, bought at auction from BMW with a full service history and a last service 4k before sale which traveled about 100 miles to my test local test center. No, I will not take a car to any test station as many test centers don't have the standards that I would like.
The MOT was pre booked and could be checked if we were stopped. I really can't see any issue.


CosKev3 - 10/8/16 at 07:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
quote:
Originally posted by hizzi
no mot means your insurance may also be void, ..... presume the seller has sorned as well so the first police car you pass will have you and probablyi impound and maybe crush.

Rubbish and rubbish.

[Edited on 10-8-16 by loggyboy]


Some insurance companies class a MOT as keeping a car roadworthy,so not rubbish.

If the car is SORNed any ANPR camera on a roadside or a police car will pick it up straight away,and driving a SORNed car on the road will get it impounded without a doubt,so not rubbish.


chillis - 10/8/16 at 08:55 PM

I've been caught out by this one and the answer is no. While it is true there is no minimum distance to travel for am MOT under the DVLA rules the police have a very different view and it is they who hand out the ticket/fine
The police will insist that you should book an MOT for an un-mot'd car as close to the vehicle location as possible, and driving from Rugby to Milton Keynes for an mot was not simply travelling for an mot but moving an un-mot'd car from one town to another (which of course was exactly what I was doing)
Save yourself the risk and get it transported


CosKev3 - 11/8/16 at 03:43 AM

quote:
Originally posted by chillis
I've been caught out by this one and the answer is no. While it is true there is no minimum distance to travel for am MOT under the DVLA rules the police have a very different view and it is they who hand out the ticket/fine
The police will insist that you should book an MOT for an un-mot'd car as close to the vehicle location as possible, and driving from Rugby to Milton Keynes for an mot was not simply travelling for an mot but moving an un-mot'd car from one town to another (which of course was exactly what I was doing)
Save yourself the risk and get it transported


Oh dear .
I have heard people say exactly the same,including someone that went off the direct route to the garage via a motor factors to buy a new bulb before the test. The plods view was you are only covered to drive drectly from home to the MOT station.


Jeano - 11/8/16 at 07:38 AM

i got pulled over for no MOT once as the guy in logistics took my car for a service but didnt get it MOT like i told him to. The company retained all the paperwork so i had no idea.

I got a £60 on the spot fine from memory and no points. . . so worse case scenario isnt to bad.


CosKev3 - 11/8/16 at 10:01 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Jeano
i got pulled over for no MOT once as the guy in logistics took my car for a service but didnt get it MOT like i told him to. The company retained all the paperwork so i had no idea.

I got a £60 on the spot fine from memory and no points. . . so worse case scenario isnt to bad.


Bit different that though,you were not driving a car you just bought knowing it had no MOT and driving it 4 hours home!!


MikeRJ - 11/8/16 at 12:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by CosKev3
If the car is SORNed any ANPR camera on a roadside or a police car will pick it up straight away,and driving a SORNed car on the road will get it impounded without a doubt,so not rubbish.


It's a non-endorsable offence (just a fine) and it's very rare that it affects your insurance status other than devaluing the car in the event of a write-off. The only time you'd be in real trouble is if a mechanical failure caused an accident, especially if a third party was involved.

I've (accidentally) driven with no MOT for several months and never been stopped despite having had traffic cars behind me during that time, so I suspect VED and insurance are far higher priorities for the police.

[Edited on 11/8/16 by MikeRJ]


CosKev3 - 11/8/16 at 04:28 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by CosKev3
If the car is SORNed any ANPR camera on a roadside or a police car will pick it up straight away,and driving a SORNed car on the road will get it impounded without a doubt,so not rubbish.


It's a non-endorsable offence (just a fine) and it's very rare that it affects your insurance status other than devaluing the car in the event of a write-off. The only time you'd be in real trouble is if a mechanical failure caused an accident, especially if a third party was involved.

I've (accidentally) driven with no MOT for several months and never been stopped despite having had traffic cars behind me during that time, so I suspect VED and insurance are far higher priorities for the police.

[Edited on 11/8/16 by MikeRJ]


Or the car's were not ANPR equipped is the most likely.

If they had ANPR I can't see they will ignore any hit on it tbh.


loggyboy - 11/8/16 at 04:33 PM

Its the magic trio the coppers are after - Insure, MOT, TAX as that points to other crimes and dodgy characters. No insurance is the only single one they would care about. All others you would have to do something else for them to care (ie have a crash, drive like a c**t, speed etc).
This isnt an assumption, I have copper friends.

[Edited on 11-8-16 by loggyboy]


CosKev3 - 11/8/16 at 04:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Its the magic trio the coppers are after - Insure, MOT, TAX as that points to other crimes and dodgy characters. No insurance is the only single one they would care about. All others you would have to do something else for them to care (ie have a crash, drive like a c**t, speed etc).
This isnt an assumption, I have copper friends.

[Edited on 11-8-16 by loggyboy]


Well sorry but not all coppers are the same,speaking from experience too I'm afraid.
A normal bobby pulled me over,had insurance and mot,but no tax.
I was 7 miles from home on a test drive after tuning,he rang the DVLA and they told him to seize the car.
Ended up costing me just over £700 in fines and cost of getting car released etc.