What is difference between a mot test & a road test?

Question

how often do i need to get a road test? i know i need a mot test every year...what do they check on an mot test? x*x

Answer 1

Road test means you take the car for a spin to decide if you like it before buying it.

There is no law saying cars have to be road tested.

MOT will test all the safety features of the car.. for example brakes/suspension/lights/exhaust system... etc etc.

Answer 2

Cuddles, and Martin S   Have it spot on

Answer 3

An MOT is an annual test of roadworthy-ness of your car. They test lights, brakes, tyres and son on... If they find anything wrong, they won't fix it (unless you pay them to, of course). It's illegal to use your car on the road if it hasn't got a valid MOT and you need an MOT to tax your car too. Cars don't need an MOT until they are 3 years old and after that it's needed every year.

A service is where you take your car to a garage and they change the oil, tune the engine and generally tweak/adjust/replace things to keep it in good condition.

How often it needs servicing will depend on the type of car, how you drive and a few other things as well. There should be a book with the car to tell you when it was last serviced and when the next one is due. Most cars have a service interval of about 10,000 miles, or once a year. A full service history will prove that you have had the car looked after properly and that will increase its value when you come to sell it.

Answer 4

A road test is when yo udrive the car to see how it drives, it's not like a MOT test where you need a certifiacte.

A service is where you take the car to a garage or the main dealer and they check basic items and change the oil and filter.

Answer 5

No such thing as a road test that you have to do every year - do you mean road tax?  You have to pay that every year too, and it gives you the tax disc you display in your windscreen.

MOT tests check many things to confirm that your vehicle is safe - seat belts, tyres, brakes, mirrors, windscreen chips, lights, etc.  Ask your local garage, or check the DVLA website.

A "road test" could mean a "test drive", which is what you do when you want to buy a car - you take it out for a drive to see if you like it, and if you can see anything dodgy about it.  Normally, the only people that call them "road tests" are motoring journalists, who test the vehicles in a variety of ways, including road tests and track tests.