'I'm a mechanic – car MOTs will fail if common item is seen on windscreen'

Getting an MOTis an anxious period for many drivers, as it's the moment drivers find out if their car is still roadworthy, or if it needs anything fixing.

An MOT is a mandatory test that all vehicles over the age of three have to undertake each year. Although some cars are MOT exempt, and others need to be tested after just one year.

However, sometimes cars fail, and when they do, those issues need to be fixed. Speaking to us about MOT failures, regional network manager and experienced mechanic for Kwik Fit, Martin Delahunty shared one strange reason cars fail their MOTs, and it's not always to do with the mechanical parts.

• Overlooked detail in Ford logo floors drivers who have never noticed it before
• DVLA warns UK drivers of consequences of failing to do one thing

Martin, an experienced technician, warned that drivers should be wary about stickers and where they put them inside their cars, encouraging drivers not to put them in the wrong place in the windscreen.

Martin said the reason for this is when windscreen wipers are moving, they move through a place called the swept area, the area cleaned by the wipers. He added that if something is placed in that area, it could cause an MOTfailure.

When asked about strange MOT failures, Martin said: "When they go over to these big shows and they get the massive stickers for the carpark, they decide to put it right in the middle of the passenger's side window so that when the wiper's on, it's going over it.

"So you have a swept area as we call it which is the area that your wipers control. If anything's in that section it can be deemed as a failure on an MOT."

However, he reassured that MOT testers can remove the items, but need to inform the driver of them doing so. He explained: "MOT testers can remove items such as a sat nav or air fresheners that obstruct the driver's view of the road, but need to inform the driver they have done so.

"In some cases, MOT testers may be unwilling to remove sat navs or dash cams if they feel there is a risk of damaging either the item or the windscreen. We would advise drivers to not position sat navs or dash cams in the swept area."

However, it's not just stickers that could get you in trouble, Martin added: "You could have rosary beads hanging from the rear view mirror, you could have a dash cam or a sat nav right in the middle of the windscreen. They're all failures."

Martin isn't the only experienced mechanic to have warned about MOT failures in the UK. CEO of motoring experts at ClickMechanic Andrew Jervis, telling the Express that several problems had repeatedly been flagged by testers.

He said: "The most common MOT failures remain surprisingly basic. According to DVSA data, the leading cause of initial MOT failure is lighting and electrical faults, accounting for around 11% of failures.

"That's often something as simple as a blown bulb or misaligned headlamp - but many drivers now rely entirely on dashboard warnings, and not all cars are equipped to alert them when a bulb fails."

Andrew commented that car suspension failures were also on the rise. He explained: "While heavier vehicles and the rise of SUVs play a role, worsening road conditions and pothole damage are a major contributing factor.

"Local authority repair budgets have been under sustained pressure, and drivers are paying the price through repeated suspension damage."