Guidance

Brakes and steering

Updated 26 February 2019

This guidance was withdrawn on

This guidance was published to help MOT testers prepare for changes made to the MOT test on 20 May 2018.

The guidance is no longer current. It is not being updated.

Check the MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles or MOT inspection manual for motorcycles for the current testing standards.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mot-changes-from-may-2018-guidance-for-mot-testers/brakes-and-steering

Overview

This guide summarises some of the main changes to brakes and steering when the MOT changed on 20 May 2018.

This isn’t a full list of all the changes in the MOT inspection manual. Check the manual if you find a defect and aren’t sure if you need to test the item.

1. Brakes

The brakes section of the MOT inspection manual has many references to systems and parts that only relate to larger class 4 and 5 vehicles. These include:

  • slack adjusters
  • spring brakes
  • actuators
  • air dryers
  • antifreeze pumps
  • endurance braking systems, for example:
    • electronic retarders
    • exhaust brake retarders
  • air and vacuum systems (this doesn’t include servo assisted brakes)

Take care not to confuse these systems and parts when you assess cars and light vehicles.

New failures

There are new failures for:

  • brake lining or pad wear for:
  • a missing brake disc or drum
  • braking performance
  • removing an anti-lock braking system (ABS) on a vehicle after 2010
  • brake fluid contaminated

Brake pad warning lights

Some vehicles have a warning light on the dashboard to show when brake pads become worn. It may also light up for other reasons, for example, when the handbrake is applied.

Before you mark a fault, check it isn’t lit for any other reason.

Braking performance values

Performance values haven’t changed but you must remember the EU vehicle definitions are:

  • M1 for cars
  • N1 for light goods vehicles

2. Steering

This section of the MOT inspection manual doesn’t have many changes, but there are a few you should know about.

New failures

There are new failures for:

  • sector shaft condition
  • steering gear fixing holes elongated
  • electronic power steering wiring, when it’s:
    • damaged
    • corroded
  • ‘fly by wire’ steering systems
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