An In-Depth Guide For Class 7 MOT

If you are a light commercial vehicle owner living in the United Kingdom, then it is important for you to maintain the safety as well as the environmental standards of your vehicle. The reason behind that is the MOT, which is a mandatory test for vehicles being driven in the United Kingdom. Different types of vehicles are divided into various classes to make it easy for examiners to test the vehicles. Vehicles like large vans and commercial vehicles come under the Class 7 category of MOT. There are many people who are residents of the UK about the Class 7 MOT, and we are here to help them. In this blog, we will be providing you with an in-depth breakdown of what Class 7 of MOT is and what is involved in the test of the vehicles under this category.  

Understanding Class 7 MOT 

MOT stands for the Ministry of Transport test, which is conducted by the DVSA, a body of the United Kingdom government. MOT is an important and mandatory test for all vehicles in the UK that are older than 3 years from the date of registration. The main motive of the government behind the introduction of this test was to identify vehicles that do not meet the safety and environmental standards set by the United Kingdom government. There are a total of 7 classes of MOT, and these classes consist of a variety of vehicles. Class 7 MOT Bristol is for goods that weigh between 3000 to 3500 kgs and are used for commercial purposes. The example of vehicles that come under this class are- Ford Transit LWB (long wheelbase), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Iveco Daily, Renault Master, and more. 

Difference Between Class 7 And a Standard MOT 

If you have ever gone for an MOT test for your vehicle, then you know that there is a standard component checklist that the examiner follows to check if your vehicle meets the safety and environmental standards. But, if we talk about the MOT for class 7, then there are a few extra checks of the vehicle than your standard MOT. Yes, the test for class 7 vehicles consists of your basic checks, but apart from that, these are the additional checks: 

• Braking Performance 

The checking of the class 7 vehicle consists of a more thorough checking of the braking performance of the vehicle. As these vehicles are heavier than standard ones, they would require a stronger braking system. 

• Suspension and Steering Components 

The steering and suspension components of these commercial vehicles undergo more rigorous testing. 

• Load Bearing Elements 

Components like the chassis and the axle integrity, which are the load-bearing elements of these vehicles, are tested with a little extra care and more thoroughly. Apart from these, tyres are also an important load-bearing element, which are also checked because they are also heavily used by these vehicles.  

Getting Your Class 7 MOT 

Now that you have understood what this test is, it is important for you to know when are where you can get your vehicle tested. Well, first of all, to answer the when question, you can only get your vehicle tested under the class 7 category if it is a commercial vehicle, and keep in mind that it should have completed its 3 years from the date of its registration. You need to get your vehicle tested once every year, and make sure that you get the test taken before or at the time when your previous certificate expires. This will help ensure that you are not driving your vehicle without an MOT passing certificate, because if you are caught driving without an MOT Bristol certificate, then you will be fined, and the fine can be quite high.  

Now, to answer the where question, the United Kingdom government’s body, DVSA, which oversees MOT, has approved thousands of MOT centres. You can search on the internet for MOT centres near you and get the vehicle tested at the one nearest to you, or the one which you think will be best for you. You should make sure to look for the test centres where Class 7 vehicles are tested, as different test centres examine different classes of vehicles. 

Final Thoughts 

Many people think that the Class 7 MOT means a harder version of the standard MOT, but we hope that through this blog, the confusion has been resolved. Now that you have understood that if you are the owner of a large vehicle which is used for commercial purposes, getting it tested for MOT is necessary. You can use this blog as a guide to understand the right time for getting your vehicle tested. From making sure that your vehicle is safe to drive to ensuring that it is environmentally friendly, MOT plays a lot of roles in vehicle maintenance. So, make sure that you are getting your vehicle’s MOT test done annually and are driving only when you have a passing certificate.