Although most garage owners and MOT testers follow the rules and work within legitimately run businesses, there are still those who try to cheat the system.
Anyone attempting to defraud the MOT isn’t just committing fraud, they’re also putting the public at risk by allowing what could be an unsafe vehicle onto the road.
Minimising risk to the public
We investigate all reports of MOT fraud. And when we do find any evidence of it, we take immediate action.
We conduct a variety of activities to check that garages are operating within the law.
These can include site visits, vehicle inspections, posing as a customer to assess standards and procedures and, in some cases, covert surveillance by our specialist teams.
Last year's results
Last year we investigated 511 garages and 483 testers. As a result of this, we stopped 45 garages and 111 testers from testing. For the most severe cases, we took them to court as well.
We’ve also seen an increase in authorised examiners reporting staff that they suspect of committing fraud. By following good management controls and conducting audit checks you can help us put a stop to MOT fraud. We encourage managers who find these problems to come to us.
The case below shows just an example of the successful work we’ve done bringing MOT fraudsters to justice.
Testers guilty of issuing fraudulent MOTs
Last year, we received reports that a garage in Brockley, London, was issuing MOT certificates without testing vehicles.
So, to investigate, we carried out 3 days of covert surveillance at the garage.
Over those 3 days, we found that 2 testers at the garage had been issuing MOT test certificates to vehicles that hadn’t ever been to the garage. Of the 45 vehicles they had registered for test, 27 hadn’t been to the garage.
Later they both admitted to issuing MOTs without checking vehicles and that they had no knowledge of the condition of any of them.
When taken to court, both men pleaded guilty. The garage owner was given an 8 month suspended sentence, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £2,500 and an £80 victim surcharge.
The other tester was given a 4 month suspended sentence, ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £500 and an £80 victim surcharge.
We also banned them both from testing for 5 years.
Reporting suspicious activity
As you can see, anyone who puts the public at risk will be dealt with accordingly. Our enforcement work is vital for protecting the integrity of the MOT and the safety of the general public.
Later this year, we'll be launching a service on GOV.UK where you can report suspected MOT fraud. We'll blog about this closer to the time of its launch.
In the meantime, if you suspect someone of committing MOT fraud you can report this by calling the confidential line 0800 030 4103.
143 comments
Comment by Marcus H posted on
Some worthy comments have been left here and do hope those that have the powers take these comments on board. What I am mostly concerned about is the 4 -1-1 testing Government proposal I think this is a totally stupid idea by someone with a degree and no common sense.
Comment by F.Asfaw posted on
I think all about is that how the management and the tester are having honest,professional talk and then fraud will not have a place.
Comment by Nkaka posted on
Good thing tackling dodgy MOT testing. How about now tackling the issue of tester industrial heath issue e.g the constant exposure to diesel exhaust fumes.
remember what happened with asbestos exposure? why is nothing being done.
Maybe this time health and safety is sleeping on duty as well.
How about No win no Fee jumping on this matter, might shake the authorities cage.
Comment by Keith posted on
I second this comment when will something be done does it have to proved by the early death of testers exposed to government recognised harmful diesel fumes to enforce extractors come on somebody think of our health as well as the wrong doings by the shameful dodgy testers
Comment by Stephen Ball posted on
Nkaka
I agree with the Diesel smoke testing. It should a MAX of 3 REV's PASS OR FAIL.
We know as NT's if a diesel is high or low. About the Government actually listened also DVSA to what us NT's have been saying for years now.
Comment by richard posted on
have you asked your employer to provide an extraction system for your well being ? Its not up to DVSA to provide or enforce this, its between you & your employer. You should have on your workshop wall a Health & Safety poster,which must be displayed by law, detailing yours & your employers rights as to health & safety. Might be worth asking them.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/lawposter.htm
Comment by George posted on
Must admit I have thought about this quite a lot diesel fumes can not be good in a confined space
Comment by Steve Boyd posted on
From the stats quoted in the article, it confirms a long concern that the MOT is a licence to print money. Maybe they should just carry out tests without being able to offer repair or extend the option to have local councils conduct tests or manage ad they do in Northern Ireland.
Comment by JAKE E posted on
Ban from testing for life.. what the heck sort of message is a suspended sentence.. there are hundreds of victims not trashed taken into account
Comment by john posted on
Good luck sifting through the petty rivalry and tit-for-tat reporting. The quoted stats. just prove that the system in place works. At least with the money up front it gets rid of the time-wasters straight away.
Comment by john posted on
Re: above comment. Lots of people assuming this reporting is within computerisation. I read this as being open to the public on a gov.uk website.
Comment by Fred posted on
Bring in a new system, do away with mot,scrap all cars over 4 year old
Comment by d bradley-scrivener posted on
are you mad!!! not everyone can afford new cars every 4 years
Comment by Lloyd posted on
Clearly wasn't being serious
Comment by Martin posted on
still many garages publishing at web advert "we pass any car, any condition"
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Martin,
Could you please report these adverts to our Intelligence team. You can reach them by email at Intelligenceunit@vosa.gsi.gov.uk.
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Andrew mot man posted on
To be hones dvsa needs to look at the booking system it's easy to do and I got the correct idea absolutely bulletproof
Comment by JAVED AKHTAR posted on
Ban them for life and name and shame too. And take every penny they have.
Comment by Conan posted on
Slapped wrist normally. Considering the vehicles they fraudulently pass obviously wouldn't pass a standard test as it would be cheaper to do it legitimately
Comment by John posted on
This is why I think it should be made even harder to become a nominated tester so that it will become a well paid and coveted position with in the garage industry,so that mechanics will want to aspire to become a tester and wouldn't risk there license for a quick buck and so that employers wouldn't risk loosing a member of staff they had invested a great deal of time, effort and above all money in to.
Comment by Andrew mot man posted on
It's now well payed any more
Comment by Roy posted on
All bent testers deserve all they get when caught out, let's have more of the old "enforcement" ..if testers do their job correctly,they have nothing to worry about.
Comment by David posted on
Sometimes you can employe someone who is doing these dodgy tests behind your back ...
Test logs are up to date with paper work ect and as an ae all paper work is up to date ....But you never know Wat the nt has arranged out of working hours ...just put 30 quid in glove box and just book it in as normal but pretend you don't know me
Comment by Thomas posted on
They should fine the owners of the vehicles as well . They know they have not been tested .
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Thomas,
We replied to a similar comment here: https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/tackling-mot-fraud-protecting-us-from-unsafe-drivers-and-vehicles/#comment-27901
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by JAHANGIR CHOWDHURY posted on
One love everyone,I think some of the multiple mot station companies carry out mot as if it is full lifetime service ,advisory and failing ? . Mot tester should be paid by dvsa if they are employed and slot £20 each
Comment by Andrew mot man posted on
I totally agree
Comment by Lee posted on
I think making the system internet based instead of a dedicated computer and line has just worsened matters. As for IP addresses , do some research on static and dynamic addressing and you will understand how hard it is to now police this .
Comment by Andrew mot man posted on
Lee a agree but the mot comp 1 was easy to log on with out being there
Comment by Non Believer posted on
Why are there inconsistencies in your DVSA figures? This was published today (28/02) and shows that 62 AEs and 98 NTs were disqualified last year yet this article quotes 45 and 111. Which figures are we supposed to believe? Or are you just making them up?
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/570465/dvsa-mot-07-action-against-authorised-examiners-and-nominated-tests__1_.csv/preview
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello,
The stats published in this article were put together by our case review team and were accurate at the time of writing. They are based on PLS prosecutions from January 2016 to January 2017.
The stats you have quoted contains all action taken against garages and testers from April 2015 to March 2016. This is why they are different to the stats in the article.
Kind regards,
Chris
Comment by Craig posted on
I think mot test lanes should be fitted with cctv or even anpr ,cctv would be protecting the garage the tester and even the customer in the event of an appeal or dispute.....
Comment by mark posted on
I have cctv in my workshop so if the inspector wants to view an mot he /she can within 10days...cctv then over writes
Comment by gee posted on
clearly states on mot website that cctv should never be used to record a test
Comment by Andrew mot man posted on
I would not want to be filmed doing a mot
Comment by Bryan Price B&B AUTOCARE posted on
Excellent news , there is nothing worse than hearing the motor trade and the mot integrity being brought into question , I feel that a lifelong ban is more fitting though
The sooner we rid our trade of this scum the better for all of us
Comment by Adrian posted on
Very glad to read about this hopefully a lot more fraudulent test stations and testers will get caught the sooner the better. They all affect the through put of genuine test stations as word goes about where to get your vehicle passed and it reduces the tests in other test stations who do the job properly. Keep up the good work. I also felt that the removal of the id card reader was a very bad move and would welcome it back.
Comment by Adam posted on
How long and how many tests had these 2 done over the months/years? To even contemplate allowing them to test again i do find very worrying.
Comment by David posted on
This is the reason behind so many vehicles passing mot,s and the dvsa are trying to extend to 4 year's for first
mot.
The amount of vehicles that pass a mot is false, because of these crooks,just passing cars with faults or the car might not even be there .
I think this major problem needs put right before the dvsa can safely say for shure cars can go longer without a mot check.
Comment by deano posted on
should be like Northern Ireland where the vehicle is tested by government run test centres, who test the vehicle with a fine tooth comb and do a very good job
Comment by Richard Studholme posted on
I often hear of garages testing 15 plus vehicles in an 8 hour day. It isn't possible.
Plus...a sales garage shouldn't really be allowed to test its own vehicles as there can be undue pressure from sales staff to get a non-advisory pass.
Comment by Big P posted on
I thought you could have two testers doubling up on one bay that would be 16 tests a day?
Comment by freddie failure posted on
I wonder how many dodgy testers charge £29-95 per test this price alone encourages bad workmanship charge the full price and do the job properly
Comment by David jones posted on
Does any action get taken against the fraudulent vehicle presenters in these cases of them obtaining a mot without the vehicle being inspected? I suspect they have a good idea that their vehicle would not pass a legitimate test, so do these vehicles then get traced and brought in for inspection?
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello David,
We replied to a similar comment here: https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/tackling-mot-fraud-protecting-us-from-unsafe-drivers-and-vehicles/#comment-27901
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Andrew mot man posted on
I now some one who charges £60 guaranteed pass and doing 15 a day
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Andrew,
Could you please report this person to our Intelligence team. You can reach them by email at Intelligenceunit@vosa.gsi.gov.uk.
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Daniel posted on
Are you aware the every mot station in the U.K is operating fraudulently because nobody has registered a vehicle for test as set out in the current legislation (The 6th edition of the mot testing guide) since at least September 2015. Under U.K. Law digital copies, websites etc are not acceptable there needs to be a hard copy available and also all stations are still regulated by VOSA not the DVSA as outlined in this testing guided
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Daniel,
This is not correct.
Various parts of the MOT Testing Guide will have been superseded by a number of Special Notices. We are currently updating the guide to reflect such things as the IT changes and will issue that shortly – which will make it easier to follow.
If you are unsure of any of the rules you need to be following, then please contact us and we can help guide you.
Kind regards,
Chris
Comment by Bill Thompson posted on
If people are prepared to print mot tests without seeing the car then I think 5 years is not punishment enough . It only takes one fatal accident to ruin so many lives all for a few quid in their pocket . I think a lifetime ban from all testing scheme activities and a hefty fine should be a starting point and criminal proceedings taken for more serious offences where prison is inevitable, maybe then they will think of the consequences
Comment by Mike Batten posted on
Im afraid the goverment must be held to some account over this I'm sure when we were using the old system which cost them money there there wasn't so much fraud, any tester even with the new card and a computor can sit at home and produce certificates willy nilly
Mike B
Comment by Colin shea posted on
People who issue mot certificates without testing the vehicle should be banned for life and sent to prison the consequences of not testing a vehicle could be life threatening or even result in death so I'm totally supportive of the checks you are carrying out keep up the good work
Comment by alan kean posted on
the punishment was too lean they should have been banned for life
the trouble is a lot of garages are tared with the same brush not on
Comment by Robert Walker posted on
So all the vehicles that were issued with fraudulent MOT certificates having not been inspected, are they still running around with current in date MOTs? Also the presenters of these vehicles, have they got away with 'their part in the crime'? Or do they just move onto the next outfit willing to sell MOTs over the phone.
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Robert,
We replied to a similar comment here: https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/tackling-mot-fraud-protecting-us-from-unsafe-drivers-and-vehicles/#comment-27901
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by castrolrob posted on
given the fines and number of cars quoted in your example I am more than a little worried.if the going rate for a bent ticket is about £100 then these guys broke even on the 3 days you were watching them.even if this was double their normal volume of fraud the only conclusion I can draw is that crime pays more than I am ever gonna earn testing legit.with the current(and probably permanent) lack of ves cases like this will become ever rarer.meaningful enforcement with its attendant deterrent value is impossible at your current staffing levels.the only people you catch now are the stupid.the brighter ones have realised that this sort of fraud is now easier than its ever been.
Comment by Robert Mabee posted on
These garages owners the testers and the so called presenters of the not tested vehicles should be heavily fined named and shamed, the test fee charged by all garages should all be the same (and l may add have not increased for several years) also garages that are heavily discounting MOT tests i.e. £20/25 test are devalueing the test. When you consider fees, a tester £12 the slot £2.05 calibration fees, tester training fees, equipment, documentation, admin etc costings they cannot be making a lot, my local Citroen dealership started to do £25 mot testing within one month the fees shot up again why because all they were testing were old non look after vehicles and the true fact that there testers were taking 2 hours to do a test. Hope you publish this Robert Norfolk
Comment by Andrew Middleton posted on
Any body caught with mot fraud should be banned for life with a spell in prison that should make them think twice before they do it !!
Comment by Alan Yates posted on
Well done for catching them .
I carry out a report , I run a test log every week , then run a print off from the office computer of which vehicles have been in for the past week and compare the test logs with the print off , that way if there is a mot carried out and not been through the office computer it's high lighted and investigated to why it's not been payed for and not been booked in the office computer , also use this test log report to note the times each test has taken . Both of these reports are kept for the month and filed with the qc . Then kept for 3 months for records.
I'd recomend all testing stations to use this method , also helps when you get a site visit.
It works trust me , cover your back. Guys.
Comment by steve beschizza posted on
informed our local examiner about a case and was told nothing could be done. We failed a car on excessive play in top ball joint osf ,offside rack gaiter insecure and nsr spring broken on an alfa romeo .Checked mot status next day and found a new mot issued about 1 hour after leaving our premises with just one advise nsr spring corroded.
Comment by El posted on
This is quite common , I've failed cars myself then seen that they've passed elsewhere the same or next day , unfortunately some customers are only interested in getting a certificate and will parade a car through a number of test stations to get a favourable result .
Comment by Colin posted on
Why only a five year ban?
Surely calculated, long term fraud should mean a life ban?
Comment by kin man posted on
It good to hear this ,it not just the mot certificate to pass it.we are talking aboat roads save.not just for you self.it for every one save on the road used ,accident happend ,it not just the diver fault.it can be mechanical failure , please thanking ,about it it a very seriously ,take a good care ,to all road used,thank,
Comment by Dave posted on
It is fantastic that the rouge testers and garages are being caught, this is something that should be widely published as much as possible, almost everyone knows of at least one garage that an easy test can be gained from, this is totally unacceptable, the good garages/testers are disadvantaged and the public are at risk, mystery shopper type tests may work for a very limited time, as soon as one garage is aware of the mystery shopper, all the garages in the area get to know about it very quickly, 27 vehicles issued with an illegal cert in 2 days by one garage and two testers, how long had this been going on for and how many other garages are doing the same, very frightening thought.
Comment by John Little posted on
name and shame them, also stop the discounting of the test fee's , I saw an advertised fee the other day of £19 these people are getting the fee back in other ways like failing vehicles on items that they shouldn't fail on.
Also don't go down the road of going for 4 years for a first test.
Comment by Jobe posted on
Ban them for life and their garage they no there doing it. Jobe
Comment by silver posted on
as a garage we have brought many cars from auctions with a years MOT
many are classics . when we check them over for sale or rental I am sure many never made it to a ramp, we then have to sort then out and cost us money so why should we pay top money for them, I think many fraudulent testers think its going to auction so we have no come back after its sold. so they pass anything
Comment by alan neill posted on
dont now how they get away with it for so long that does not happen in north ayrshire
Comment by mercedes posted on
it happens here in central scotland too and has been going on for years if you know the right people
Comment by Bob posted on
In Spain there version of the Mot is gov run by private sector & you get an receipt with a digital photo of your vehicle this could be printed on the pass or failure when the vehicle is presented at time of test & kept on the database this could prove at least the vehicle is at least at the VTS at time of inspection
Comment by Stephen robinsonsmith1234@g.mail posted on
About time to its a welcome to the site
Comment by Big Sarge posted on
Now all we need to do is stop the government putting dangerous cars on the road by extending first test date to 4 years !
Comment by Steve Neill posted on
These garages should be named and shamed...
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hi Steve,
We'll be looking at sending monthly emails containing the names and info of garages who we've stopped from testing.
Make sure you're signed up to our DVSA directs so you receive these emails.
Regards,
Chris
Comment by Sue posted on
There should be more undercover inspections done then they have to be on their toes each day never knowing if they were being tested. We women often wonder if we're being duped
Comment by chris greenhalgh posted on
Would it not be possible to highlight to the garage if a test has been registered from an IP address other than the ones registered to the garage IP address.This would help to detect fraud if a test is registered away from the garage.
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Chris,
Garage managers are already able to highlight any anomalies in IP addresses by downloading the test log report for the site and doing some analysis.
We recommend this as best practice and many garages already use the reports from the system to check for unusual IP addresses.
During a fraud investigation, we also look at any inconsistencies in regards to IP addresses.
Regards,
Chris
Comment by Andy posted on
If I start MOT and when finished , it's no internet on the site, I put all results by IPad with 4G. It's will be different IP.
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hi Andy,
You don’t have to use the same computer or tablet (you can also use wi-fi or 4G - both are fine) to record MOT test results but you must record them at the garage where the test is taking place.
We know that there are legitimate reasons for an IP address to change and it's only one of the things we look at when investigating.
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Ajay Gokani posted on
Good to see this clamp down but I think a bigger culprit of allowing unroadworthy vehicles driving unchecked on the roads with complicity from DVSA and Government ministers is the 4-1-1 if it is allowed to come into force. The only reason 4-1-1 is being even considered is to win votes which is disgraceful
Comment by Leo posted on
Its great to see something being done about these garages. however i feel like a 5 year ban is not enough, those who choose to put others at risk for the sake of money should be banned for life from MOT testing. we all know they will be at it again once they get their license back!
either way keep up the good work!
Comment by William posted on
What is very worrying is that out of 483 testers 111 were found to be abusing the system & therefore banned form testing again.. That's 23% of the workforce, which is totally unacceptable. I think the DVSA need to improve their own standards & not allow their service to deteriorate to this level before intervention.
Comment by george posted on
deserve all they get . I've seen a few that should never of passed an MOT .you know the wheeler dealer type .
Comment by Steve manseĺl posted on
Keep up the good work this job is hard enough without these people making the paying public even more doubtful of honest garages.
Comment by jon Fountain posted on
what happened about the drivers who requested the fraudulent certificates and their vehicles
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Jon,
DVSA will take different actions with motorists depending on the circumstances and nature of the fraud.
Typically, DVSA will warn motorists where it believes there is a risk that they unknowingly have possession of a vehicle that may not have been fully tested.
Where proportionate, DVSA could work with the Police to pursue motorists who are part of the fraudulent activity and knowingly driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Mark stack posted on
The MOT test should include the removal of the wheels to inspect ALL of the pads. Unless you are good at driving without brakes, like I am when I found out my brakes didn't work while coming over the Welsh Mountains, just my SECOND journey after a MOT test!
Comment by Lloyd posted on
For a start that is never going to happen for obvious reasons, but why is that relevant to the topic in question?
Comment by Steve posted on
Good point lloyd
Comment by Carl posted on
You could always get your car serviced. Too many people think that having an MOT once a year is addequate maintenance of a vehicle.
Comment by Nathan posted on
Spot on carl.
I get sick of the "you motd my car 2 months ago" nonsense.
People think nothing of blowing 100 quid on a night out but be grudge spending on servicing.
Comment by Tony S posted on
I guess that would have to put the price of a MOT Test up to a level that you would not wish to pay, couldn't do all that for the £19.00 that some places charge.
Any way that is why you should have your car regularly serviced.
Comment by Ken Mcintosh posted on
In an ideal world that would be a very good idea, but in the real world there is just not enough time and the public don't like paying a mere £54.85 so how do you think they would accept a larger fee than what is already too much in there eyes.
Comment by Dale posted on
Having your vehicle regularly serviced would have brought the issue to your attention
Comment by Dale posted on
Having your vehicle regularly serviced would have brought this issue to your attention tension
Comment by cheekyboy posted on
what a stupid idea, you will be forever aborting/abandoning tests you cant get the wheel bolts undone
Comment by Jim Walker posted on
pads are checked at routine servicing.?
Comment by jamie posted on
They should be banned from testing for life they knew what they were doing was wrong whats to say they wont do it again!!
Comment by Derek Taylor posted on
Well done and I suspect there are still a good number of fraudulent testers out there. When caught they should serve a minimum of 1 month in prison fined a minimum of £2000 and banned from testing for life.
Comment by Ken Mcintosh posted on
Totally agree,this type of activity only promotes a bad image.
Comment by brian posted on
As a mot test centre in Hertfordshire a garage not to far from us was doing right up's and mot that cars was not even there.
They were caught and the nt banned for 2 years
not sure what happened to the garage owner or ae.
Comment by Andy posted on
All so, they have check on Facebook. It's a lot advertising like MOT with out the car £ 80.00.
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Andy,
Could you please report these adverts to our Fraud and Integrity team. You can reach them by email at FraudAndIntegrity@dvsa.gov.uk.
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Alan posted on
As mot testers are well allowed to leave negative feed back on a garage that has carried out a fraudulent mot after the dvsa has inspected it ?
Comment by Chris (DVSA) posted on
Hello Alan,
Yes, you can. Please report any such garages via the 0800 0304103 number in the blog.
Thanks,
Chris
Comment by Derek posted on
What about those that test large numbers of vehicles and share 1 bay, you hear of testers testing 15 plus vehicles each a day in an 8 hour day.
Surely they should be closely monitored too.
Comment by Barry posted on
It's efficency ladies and gentlemen Mots take as long as they take...I even consider where my pen is in order to improve my test time even down to where my beam Jack pads are located...also car content regarding age make model also helps
Comment by Ken Mcintosh posted on
Don't share your idea about efficiency,if your local ve watched you for a whole day doing 15 mots in your 8 hour day I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be shaking your hand and saying well done.
Comment by Dave Vaughan. Poole Bay Motors. posted on
Any measures which reduce fraudulent MOT's being issued are good for the industry. Those of us who do the job properly and professionally do not deserve to be besmirched by dodgy outfits.
Comment by Jim mcbride posted on
Good glad to hear it. Anybody that does this irresponsible act should be put in prison for a long strench. Your putting people's lives at risk.