Class 4 MOT in Leeds

Which vehicles are Class 4?

The DVSA defines Class 4 as:

• Cars with up to 8 passenger seats
• Goods vehicles (vans, pick-ups and car-derived vans) up to 3,000 kg design gross weight
• Motor caravans
• Taxis, private hire and public service vehicles with up to 8 passenger seats
• Private passenger vehicles and ambulances with 9 to 12 passenger seats
• Dual-purpose vehicles
• Quad bikes up to 400 kg unladen (550 kg for goods quads), and three-wheeled vehicles over 450 kg unladen

Vans sit either side of the line: anything with a design gross weight up to 3,000 kg is Class 4, and anything over 3,000 kg up to 3,500 kg is Class 7. Check the weight on the manufacturer's plate or your V5C before you book, so your van goes into the right test.

What the Class 4 test checks

The test is a visual and mechanical inspection of the items that matter for safety and emissions:

• Brakes: condition, operation and performance
• Tyres and wheels: condition, size, type and tread depth (at least 1.6 mm)
• Lights, indicators, reflectors and headlamp aim
• Steering and suspension
• Seatbelts and seats
• Body, structure and general items, including corrosion and sharp edges
• Windscreen, wipers and washers
• Mirrors, horn and number plates
• Exhaust system and exhaust emissions
• Fuel system, including leaks and the fuel cap
• Doors, bonnet and boot catches
• Electrical: battery, wiring, towbar electrics and the warning lights on the dashboard
• Vehicle identification number (VIN)

It does not cover the engine, clutch or gearbox, and it is not a service. Our main MOT page explains who needs a test and when, and what happens after a fail, in more detail.

Booking a Class 4 MOT

Request a booking online and we'll call you back to confirm a date and time, or phone us directly. You can have the test done up to a month (minus a day) before your current certificate expires and keep the same renewal date.

Preparing for the test

Many fails are for simple things you can check yourself in five minutes before you set off:

• Lights: headlights, sidelights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, reversing lights and number-plate lights all working, with no cracked or discoloured lenses
• Tyres: at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre and around its whole circumference, no cuts, bulges or exposed cords, and the correct pressures
• Wipers and washers: blades that clear the screen without smearing, and a full washer bottle
• Horn: sounds properly
• Number plates: present, secure, legible and in a legal font and spacing
• Warning lights: no engine management, ABS, airbag, brake or power-steering lights staying on
• Mirrors: both door mirrors and the interior mirror secure and intact
• Seatbelts: pull each one out fully, check for frays and cuts, and make sure it latches and retracts
• Fuel and oil: enough fuel and oil for the emissions test to be carried out (the tester can refuse to test a vehicle without them)
• Windscreen: no chips or cracks in the driver's line of sight bigger than the DVSA limits (10 mm in the swept area in front of the driver, 40 mm elsewhere)

Also make sure the boot, bonnet and all doors open, and that the vehicle is reasonably clean inside and out so the tester can inspect it.

If your vehicle fails

Every problem the tester finds is recorded in one of four categories, which is what decides whether the vehicle passes or fails:

• Dangerous: a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The vehicle fails and must not be driven until it has been repaired.
• Major: may affect safety, put other road users at risk or harm the environment. The vehicle fails and should be repaired as soon as possible.
• Minor: no significant effect on safety or the environment. The vehicle passes, but the defect is noted and should be fixed.
• Advisory: something to keep an eye on that could become more serious later. The vehicle passes.

A fail with dangerous or major defects is recorded on the DVSA database straight away. If your old certificate is still in date you may still drive the vehicle while the defects are put right, but not if any defect is dangerous.

Retests follow the DVSA rules. If the vehicle stays with the test centre for repair and is retested within 10 working days, only the failed items need to be checked again (a partial retest). If you take it away and bring it back within 10 working days, a partial retest is only possible for certain items such as lights, tyres, wipers, mirrors, seatbelts, horn, number plates and doors; anything else needs a full test again. Whether a retest fee applies depends on which of those rules you fall under, so ask us when you book.