What Car? Q&A - Why won't my local garage MoT my car?

Q: I recently took my 12-year-old Citroen Xantia to have an MoT, but the garage said that it wasn't willing to test it. Can they do this?
Stan Collins

A: An MoT examiner can refuse to examine a car if it cannot be tested properly due to its condition, or if they think it may be unsafe.

The full list of reasons includes: not presenting the V5 documents with the car; if the vehicle is excessively dirty; if the car cannot be driven or has insufficient fuel, if the car emits excessive smoke; or if the doors, boot or bonnet cannot be opened.

An examiner can also refuse to test on the grounds that the car is mechanically unsafe and it would be dangerous to try and examine it, or if the car is carrying an unsecured load.

For larger commercial vehicles, an MoT station could refuse to test it if their testing equipment is not large enough to handle the vehicle correctly.

If your car has been refused an MoT, the examiner should tell you why he or she did so, so that you can arrange the appropriate repairs.