Cars and smaller passenger vehicles.
Larger vans within the Class 7 category.
Class 4 and Class 7 MOT testing from a family-run garage
An MOT is the annual roadworthiness check that most vehicles need once they are three years old. DB Autos carries out MOT tests for Class 4 and Class 7 vehicles at Units 3 and 4, Salem Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5PR. A Class 4 MOT is £40 and a Class 7 MOT is £50.
We are a family-run garage with more than 35 years behind us, AA Approved and part of the Bosch Approved servicing network. This page explains what the MOT covers, what the defect categories mean, why cars fail and how to get ready, so you know what to expect before you book online at dbautosmottest.co.uk or ring 01782 844320.
The MOT is a legal inspection of the parts of your vehicle that affect safety and the environment. It looks at the condition of the vehicle on the day of the test. A pass certificate shows the car met the minimum legal standard when it was inspected. It is not a promise about how the car will behave for the next twelve months.
It also does not look at the condition of the engine, the clutch or the gearbox. A car can pass an MOT and still be due a service or a repair, which is why many drivers in Stoke-on-Trent combine the two.
Every vehicle is tested to the same published standard, whatever the make, so the result depends on the condition of your car and not on who owns it.
DB Autos tests Class 4 and Class 7 vehicles, on all makes and models. Class 4 covers cars and other passenger vehicles with up to eight passenger seats, plus goods vehicles up to 3,000kg design gross weight. Class 7 covers goods vehicles over 3,000kg and up to 3,500kg design gross weight, which means the larger vans.
We do not test motorcycles (Class 1 and 2) or the larger heavy goods and passenger-carrying classes. If you are not sure which class your vehicle falls into, the design gross weight is shown on the vehicle plate and in the V5C logbook, and the team can confirm it when you call.
The tester works through a set list of items. Not every item is a mechanical part, and several are simple visibility and identification checks that drivers often forget about.
Anything the tester finds is placed in one of four categories, and the category decides the result.
A dangerous defect is a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. It is a fail, and the vehicle should not be driven until it is repaired. A major defect may affect safety or the environment. It is also a fail and needs repair as soon as possible. Whether you may still drive depends on whether your previous certificate is in date and whether the vehicle is dangerous, and our team can advise you on the day.
A minor defect has no significant effect on safety. The vehicle still passes, but the item is recorded and should be put right. An advisory is something worth watching, such as a part that is wearing but not yet beyond the limit. Advisories do not stop a pass, though they are a useful warning of what may need attention soon.
Most failures come from ordinary wear and small things that have been overlooked rather than serious faults. Many of them can be spotted in minutes at home.
A few minutes of checking can save a fail over something small. None of this replaces the test, but it catches the usual culprits.
Walk round the car with the ignition on and check every exterior light, including the brake lights, which is easier with a helper or a reflective wall. Look at each tyre for cuts, bulges and low tread, and check the pressures. Operate the horn, wipers and washers, and top up the washer fluid. Check that the number plates are clean and readable, that the seatbelts latch and retract, and that every door opens and closes. Finally, look at the dashboard: if a warning light stays on after the engine starts, tell us when you book.
A new car needs its first MOT when it reaches three years old, then once every twelve months. You can have the test up to a month minus a day before the current certificate expires and still keep the same renewal date, which is a sensible way to leave time for any repairs.
Driving without a valid MOT is only allowed on the way to a pre-booked test, or to a place where defects found at a test are being repaired. Outside those cases it is an offence and can affect your insurance, so do not leave it to the last day. Electric vehicles need an MOT in the same way, although they have no exhaust emissions test.
An MOT is a legal check of safety and emissions items on one day. A service is routine maintenance carried out to the manufacturer's schedule: fresh oil and filters, plus inspection and replacement of parts that wear with mileage. The MOT will not tell you whether your oil is due, and a service will not give you a pass certificate.
If you would rather deal with both together, ask us about an MOT with a service. Having them done on one visit means one booking and one trip to Salem Street, and any work found is explained before it goes ahead.
If your vehicle fails, you receive a list of the defects and their categories. We go through that list with you in plain terms, explaining what each item is, why it failed and what putting it right involves.
DB Autos can carry out the repairs after the test if you want us to. Nothing extra is done without your authorisation, and we can show photos or videos of the problem on request. Repairs carry our 12-month parts and labour guarantee. For questions about retests, please ask the team when you book or on the day.
You can book online at dbautosmottest.co.uk, or phone 01782 844320 and speak to the team. A Class 4 MOT is £40 and a Class 7 MOT is £50. Have your registration number ready, and tell us about any warning lights or known problems so we can plan for them.
We are at Units 3 and 4, Salem Street, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5PR.
A long-established, family-run Stoke-on-Trent garage.
DB Autos is an AA Approved garage.
Part of the Bosch Approved servicing network.
Parts and labour carry a 12-month guarantee.
A Class 4 MOT, which covers most cars and smaller vans, is £40. A Class 7 MOT, for larger vans over 3,000kg up to 3,500kg design gross weight, is £50. You can book online at dbautosmottest.co.uk or call 01782 844320.
We test Class 4 and Class 7 vehicles on all makes and models: cars, passenger vehicles with up to eight seats, and vans up to 3,500kg design gross weight. We do not test motorcycles or larger HGV and bus classes.
A new car needs its first MOT when it is three years old. After that it needs one every twelve months. Your certificate shows the expiry date, and you can also check it online using your registration number.
You can have the test up to a month minus a day before the current certificate runs out and keep the same renewal date. Testing earlier than that means the new certificate runs from the test date.
Only in limited cases: on the way to a pre-booked MOT test, or to a place where defects found at a test are being repaired. Otherwise it is an offence. A vehicle with a dangerous defect should not be driven at all.
Yes. Electric vehicles are tested for brakes, steering, suspension, lights, tyres and the other safety items, in the same way as petrol and diesel cars. The main difference is that there is no exhaust emissions test.
An MOT is a legal check of safety and emissions on the day. A service is maintenance to keep the car running well, such as oil and filter changes. A pass does not mean the car has been serviced.
You are given a list of the defects and what each category means. We explain it first, and repairs can be done at DB Autos after the test. Nothing extra is carried out without your approval. Ask the team about retests.
Lights, tyres, brakes and suspension account for many failures, along with poor visibility from worn wipers or windscreen damage, warning lights that stay on, and emissions readings. Most are quick to check before the test.
Yes. Ask the team about an MOT with a service when you book. It means one visit to Salem Street, and any work found is explained to you before it goes ahead.
DB Autos tests vehicles from Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding towns and villages. Find your area:
Class 4 and Class 7 MOT testing at Units 3 and 4 Salem Street, Stoke-on-Trent.
MOT Test | Car Servicing | Clutch Replacement | Car Bodywork Repairs
DB Autos
Units 3 & 4 Salem Street
Stoke-on-Trent
ST1 5PR
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