MOTs in Oxfordshire
Just Right Autos are here to provide MOTs, which are carried out in our car workshop in Oxfordshire. We donate £1 from every MOT to Witney Food Bank.
We are an approved MOT test station authorised by the DVSA – the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and a member of the RMI (Retail Motor Industry Federation).
The workshop and test centre provide trustworthy and reliable service at competitive rates.


Most of our technicians are also qualified MOT testers; they will ensure that all MOT checks are carried out on your vehicle to the DVSA standards. You’ll find an MOT checklist at the bottom of this page.
If you’d like to check the MOT status of a vehicle visit the gov.uk website.
Just Right Autos can carry out any MOT repairs, big or small. However, this will only be done once you have been contacted and given permission to do any work.
We will also provide a list of recommendations so that you are aware of any future repairs your car might need.


What is an MOT?
MOT stands for Ministry of Transport test. Any vehicle driven on a UK road must be kept in a roadworthy condition. The MOT test checks that the vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards.
It isn’t the same as having your vehicle serviced and will not check its general mechanical condition. You must have a full or interim service carried out frequently for this.
When Should You MOT Your Vehicle?
Once a vehicle is 3 years old it must receive an MOT test each year. In some cases the vehicle must be MOTed when it’s 1 year old; so always check the MOT status to see when your vehicle needs to be tested.
Renew your MOT in Witney, at Just Right Autos up to a month before it expires. The earliest date a vehicle can be tested will be printed on last the MOT pass certificate.


MOT Expiry
It is illegal to drive a UK registered vehicle on a public UK road when the MOT has expired.
The only exception is if an MOT has already been booked and you are driving your vehicle directly to the test centre.
MOT Checklist
Just Right Autos, Oxfordshire, has provided a guide to the standard MOT checklist, which we check when your vehicle is with us.
Click for the MOT inspection checklist on gov.uk.
Vehicle Identification Number
A vehicle identification number (VIN) is a 17-digit number that identifies a vehicle and its history.
The VIN or Chassis Number must be permanently displayed and readable on all vehicles built after 1981. It can be found on the dashboard, driver’s door and on the vehicle registration document.
Registration Plate
A registration plate is a way of identifying a vehicle. During an MOT, plates are checked for their condition, the secure fixings to the car, the ability to read, and the proper spacing and format of letters and numbers. The characters need to be of a certain height and size.
The material must be reflective. The front plate must have black characters on a white background, and the rear plate must have black characters on a yellow background.
Lights
All lights (including the covers/lenses and bulbs) will be checked for condition (no cracks), operation, security and correct colour during the MOT. This includes number plate lamps, fog lamps and reverse lights.
The headlamps will also be checked to see if the aim is correct for driving on the left hand side of the road.
Modern cars sometimes have orange indicator bulbs rather than orange glass and over time the bulbs fade. If they start to show white they will fail even though they might still flash.
Steering and Suspension
At Just Right Autos, during the MOT, we will check the steering and suspension.
The steering wheel should be free of damage and securely attached to the steering shaft with no free play.
The steering rack or steering box and its mountings, the steering joints and any other swivel joints which form part of the vehicles’ steering system will be inspected.
Steering column bearings will be checked for wear.
We check the steering shaft for excessive ‘end float’ and we’ll check flexible couplings, universal joints, retaining devices and clamping bolts.
Whilst the vehicle stands on swivel plates the wheels are turned from lock to lock and checked to ensure that the wheels and tyres do not foul either the structure of the vehicle or any brake pipes or hoses.
With the wheels jacked-up off the ground, the wheel bearings are also looked at.
Wipers and Washers
Front and rear wipers and washers should operate to give the driver a clear view of the road.
We pay attention to the operation, position and function of the wipers and washers. Even running out of water in your screen wash bottle is enough to cause an MOT failure! Don’t worry – we’ll likely fill it up before failing you.
Wiper blades must be in good condition and the correct size for the vehicle. We’ll check the range of wipe so that the driver has an un-obscured view of the road.
Windscreen chips and scratches are acceptable if less than 10mm in the driver’s line of vision and less than 40mm in the rest of the swept area.
Horn
The vehicle’s horn is checked for correct operation and that is heard clearly by other drivers and pedestrians. A horn that doesn’t sound can result in an MOT failure.
Seats
To pass the MOT the front seats must be securely fixed to the car’s floor, we will check for loose or broken bolts which can occur on older cars or campervans.
We will check that the front and the back seats can be secured in an upright position to protect any passengers.
Seat Belts
All compulsory seatbelts must be in place and we will check all seat belts during the MOT.
All seat belts installed will be checked for type, condition (not frayed or torn), operation (the locking/release mechanism must work. The requirements are that when the car brakes suddenly the belt must retract when in the upright position.
Just Right Autos will check the security of seat belt mountings and locking stalks.
Fuel System
The fuel system is taken very seriously at Just Right Autos in Witney – we examine the entire system during the MOT test.
There must be no leaks and we will check for signs of corrosion.
We will check the fuel lines too.
The fuel cap must fasten correctly and seal securely. The fuel cap will need to be opened so please make sure the key is available.
Exhaust Emissions
The MOT inspection covers the vehicle’s emission levels. Our MOT inspector connects the car to a computer which takes readings from its exhaust gasses.
We check the emission control system component for any faults.
A vehicle’s engine needs to control the mixture of fuel and air so the fuel can burn efficiently.
When emissions are high, it could be due to bad airflow.
This could be as simple as a blocked air filter, or as complicated as a problem with the vehicle’s electronic brain.
If we find high emissions, we will check for engine damage – such as a blown cylinder head gasket, failing cylinder rings or damaged pistons.
We’d also check the catalytic converter (catalyst or cat) which all modern cars are required to be fitted with.
Vehicle Structure
Just Right Autos will inspect the vehicle structure during an MOT. We check the body and frame for excessive corrosion, sharp edges or damage in specific areas.
Our MOT inspector will establish the severity of any corrosion or rust, especially within 30 cm of a structural component.
We will also check for excessive corrosion which is likely to adversely affect the vehicle’s braking or steering.
Doors
During the MOT the front doors will be examined, they must be able to open and close from inside and out. They also must latch securely in the closed position.
We will look at the door hinges and make sure all doors are securely fixed to the vehicle.
Mirrors
Just Right Autos check that mirrors are present, in a good condition (i.e. no sharp edges) and securely fitted.
Replacement stick-on glass is available meaning you don’t have to change the complete assembly.
An internal rearview mirror is also required on most vehicles.
Wheels and Tyres
We will of course check the wheels and tyres during the MOT and we check their condition, looking for any damage – wheels must not have any severe dents.
Just Right Autos check the tyre size and type, plus the tread depth. The minimum legal requirement is to have 1.6mm of tread across the centre of the wheel.
Spare tyres are not tested.
Brakes
During the MOT the brakes will be tested for their condition, operation and performance.
We do two tests on the foot braking system, the first is physically using the brake and the second is for brake efficiency.
So we will check for free play and check individual braking components such as the brake discs, brake pads and drums (external only), brake servo unit, brake master cylinder, brake pipes and mechanical braking components for wear, leakage and contamination.
Brake back plates and calliper securing devices are checked for condition and security.
The second test is a rolling road brake test – which just means we test the brake performance, efficiency and balance whilst it is moving.
We take a reading from each wheel. We do this on our in-house rolling road brake testing machine.
Vehicles such as those with permanent 4-wheel drive will be tested either on a suitable road using our decelerometer.
Just Right Autos also check the parking brake for ‘travel’ and the mountings will be checked for security and corrosion.
The anti-lock braking system warning lamp is also checked for function and sequence of operation.
We hope that the MOT testing checklist is clear, let us know if we have missed anything here. Just Right Autos looking forward to seeing you at our workshop in Witney, Oxfordshire.