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MOTs and Car Servicing – What’s The Difference?

an image of a mechanic servicing a Porsche

Statistics have shown that 59% of customers are confused by what’s included in an MOT and a service. It doesn’t come as a surprise, then, that we are often asked what the difference is between the two, and why we need both annually…

Here at Ken’s Autos, we are motoring experts, so we decided to run you through the key difference between an MOT and car servicing in order for you to understand why they are both imperative to the smooth operation of your vehicle.

What is an MOT?

Firstly, an MOT takes its name from the Ministry of Transport, which has actually since been known as the Department of Transport since 2002 and hasn’t been the Ministry of Transport since the 1970s, but the name stuck. This means an MOT is a government-issued, legally required test that checks to ensure your car is working to the minimum standards set by the DVSA.

Set out by the DVSA, these checks are employed to ensure your car is roadworthy and look into things such as safety and emissions. The ‘look’ is the key here, though, as an MOT is a completely ‘visual test’: nothing is taken off the car to be checked.

Finally, an MOT is a standardised test that should be carried out once per year.

What is Car Servicing?

A service is an inspection that is more dictated by the manufacturer of the car and the specific garage than the DVSA, which has no input at all. There are a series of guidelines that are used to inspect the safety, reliability, and working condition of the different aspects of the vehicle.

The inspection involved in a service includes things like the lights, the engine, the brakes, and the suspension, and ensures the condition is optimal, rather than at the minimum for being deemed ‘safe’. A service is more thorough than an MOT in that it can include the replacement of engine oil, spark plugs, and air filters (situationally dependent).

So, Why Do I Need Both?

Although an MOT and a service cover some similar basic checks, the goal of each is different. The goal of an MOT is to ensure your car is at the minimum level of operation so that it is not a danger to yourself or others when being driven, whereas a service looks at helping your car run at its optimal. What’s more, these tests are both (generally) carried out annually, but staggered in a way so they aren’t at the same time and your car only really goes around six months before it is being checked again.

Effectively, both the MOT and servicing of your car are essential to ensure safety and good condition/roadworthiness, so it’s important to ensure you have these procedures carried out by reputable garages at the correct intermissions.

Ken’s Autos

Here at Ken’s Autos, we have over 40 years experience in the MOT and servicing of vehicles from our garages in Whyteleafe and Warlingham, which are perfectly placed to serve Croydon and the East Surrey area.

To hear more, please call us on 01883 622 069 for Warlingham or 0208 763 0102 for Whyteleafe, Kenley and Purley. Alternatively, you can fill out our online contact form and a member of our team will be on hand to help.