The MOT extension,

Most of you will be aware of the 6 month MOT extensions that started on 30 March. So I get a letter last week from the garage who usually MOT the MX-5 NB telling me its due on 19 June. Where’s my extension I thought, so I go online to check the date its due and yes, the DVLA site also agrees it expires on 19 June. But before I pick the phone up and book it I check the rules and apparently the extension doesn’t show on the DVLA site until about 7 days before the original due date. Apart from the fact the letter from the garage makes no reference to the extension it would be quite easy to miss the benefit of the extension if you also just go by the DVLA dates etc.
The benefit of the extension as far as I’m concerned on a car I know will pass is it means no risk to me or the guys at the garage in arranging a visit to them.
The disadvantage of course to the garage is loss of bushiness for them, and a waste of a letter and stamp!
And the moral of the story, watch out for similar confusing letters and the DVLA site not updating until close to the date.

My wife’s car has been updated from May 30th until November 30th in the last couple of days so it does seem to work.

The extension was given due to lockdown. With garages opening from June I would not wait until the end of your extended time. You may find that you are in a long wait with everybody else who thought the same. I plan to get mine done before the onset of winter so I have plenty of time to take care of any advisories.

My local garage hasn’t been closed, did the MOT on March 30th for me.
Been back since to have a full set of tyres fitted. The first 2 weeks of lockdown they weren’t busy after that as normal as far as trading went. Being a small outfit it was easy for them to follow guidelines. I’m glad I took mine in, the tyres were an advisory but it made me take a closer look at them, to be on the safe side I replaced them.

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yeah, the MOT on the NA which ran out a month or so ago shows the extension date now.

As it stands plan is to tax the NB from 1 June for 6 months. The MOT will then expire on its new date in December, when it will be SORNED again, and will worry about a new MOT before getting back on the road for spring 2021! I can’t see us doing many miles this year whatever happens.

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I can see what you mean, I’ve no doubt both mine would pass and can be left a few months.
My NC will need an MOT in August, it’s only done 50 miles this year. The plan is to tax it from June 1st.

Gosh thought I was bad but doubled you milage 100 mls :rofl: I too will tax it the 1st June :+1:

I do find it odd they only add the extension close to the expiry date. I wonder if that is because they want to keep the option open to revoking this if we come out of ‘lockdown’ earlier than they originally planned. I needed to get my daily Toyota serviced in the next few weeks (I do 30k+ a year in it so it gets 3 services a year) and normally the dealership take quite a while to be able to get a spot with a courtesy car - today it was only a 7 day wait so it seems garages (or at least main dealers) don’t have much work on at the moment.

yes, as its stands they can revoke it quite easily I guess, but as it stands there is no end date, not that I can see anyway, which is odd.

I know it’s not for the want of trying. Taxed it 1st March for 12 months, around 25th March I sorned it again, refund of £275 from DVLA.
I’ll try again next month.:grin::roll_eyes:

I planned april…something happened to stop me cannot think what now…Will only do it for 6mts and if we are lucky the sun will shine till november…one thing for sur I will do more than 100 mls :racing_car:

Given their gross incompetence in other aspects of testing, I could well imagine that the government could just announce the MOT extension scheme to be over and done with,
and let chaos ensue, as car health services are overwhelmed.

More optimistically, I would hope that a more nuanced approach might occur.

I’m a bit concerned we may all need to go to Barnard Castle for a test,

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Mot test or eye test

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As soon as it’s possible I need my eyes tested, seriously :+1:

I’m going to do a test run as soon as Boots give me the ok :grin:

And here you go

So checked this morning and my 19 June MOT date has now advanced to 19 December, which is handy. Also then checked the mileage on the last MOT against current and discovered my NB has covered the grand total of 234 miles since last MOT in 2019…
No wonder I’ve been missing it, ! (Have done some miles in NA though so not been completely MX free 12 months thankfully. )

So if they want to stop the scheme now I’m sorted thanks, both 5s extended

Most of the noises about this seem to be coming from the trade, ie speaking through the wallets.

My concerns are that in handing my car over to an MOT garage, it’s going into intimate acquaintance with a motley collection of people to breathe on, cough and splutter over, lay their hands and other parts of their body on…

and all outwith of my sight.

MOT’ing a car does not come into the frame of reference of 2 metre, or 1 metre social distancing.

I would not remotely consider it a good idea to abruptly terminate the current arrangements.

Given the current momentum to move forward quickly and get businesses up and running again, I can’t see the six month deferment of MOT expiry dates being continued for much longer. It would make sense to reduce the deferment to say 3 months as an initial weaning off the process rather than all or nothing.
Two of my MOTs due in July and august so fully expect maximum inconvenience:-)

I’m expecting to hear from my dealer for the Mazda3 MOT and service, due end of June.

With us elderly folk being in isolation it has only done about fifteen miles on one emergency return trip since the beginning of March.

The NC has done a bit more, nearly fifty miles of top-down on local favourite B and A roads on one trip on the first weekend we were allowed out. It’s MOT is not due until late Oct so no worries there.