MOT Glasgow
Why Choose M B Jarvie
For Your MOT Test

M B JARVIE: MOT GLASGOW TEST CENTRE

M B Jarvie Ltd are a DVSA-approved, IMI-registered MOT Glasgow test centre based in Kinning Park, Glasgow. We carry out MOT Tests on class 4 vehicles, operating MOT station hours between 8.30 – 5pm, Monday – Friday. We’re a long-established, family-run, business with over 35 years industry experience. With our extensive motor trade experience in vehicle service, repair and MOT testing we’ve built a large and loyal customer base. So join thousands of our satisfied customers, and have your MOT test carried out at M B Jarvie MOT Glasgow test centre.

MOT Glasgow

MOT Test Class IV

£54.85

Non-VAT item
  • Free re-test
  • Pre-MOT check/topup levels
  • Adjust headlight aim

Book now
MOT Glasgow

“if you Googled ‘cheap mot glasgow‘, you may think you’re in the wrong place, but your not” 


“read on as we explore why the discounted MOT test won’t add up for you and will likely end up costing you more than you’d hoped” 

How we work

As trained and professional MOT testers we apply the MOT Guide as intended with the aim of getting your vehicle through its MOT test successfully.
Common causes of MOT failure include incorrect headlamp beam pattern and empty screen wash reservoirs. Fail-items like these are easily rectified so, to prevent you vehicle failing its MOT test on these easily avoidable items, we’ll top up  your washers, engine oil and brake fluid levels where necessary as well as adjust you vehicle’s headlamp aim free of charge if required – SEE BELOW FOR PRE-MOT CHECKS YOU CAN EASILY DO YOURSELF TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF A FIRST TIME PASS. If your vehicle fails its MOT test, you will NOT be charged for a retest after remedial work is undertaken. Should you wish to have your vehicle repaired elsewhere, you will still get a free re-test, provided the vehicle it returned for test within 10 working days.

We carry out MOT tests on site and, should your vehicle fail its MOT test, are able to complete any necessary remedial repair work for your convenience. At M B Jarvie Ltd we charge the full price of £54.85 for an MOT test – note this price is NOT subject to VAT. We do not offer discounted MOT test pricing. So, if you Googled “cheap mot glasgow”, you may think you’re in the wrong place, but your not. I’ll explain why below.

MOT Glasgow

“They dangle the carrot, creating a price low enough to entice customers in the door” 


“quotations for remedial MOT repair work will likely contain unnecessary parts and labour to hike up the costs” 


“if you see an MOT on offer at a discounted price, be wary” 

Did You Search “Cheap MOT Glasgow”?

A bit of background: You’ll find many MOT test centres will have set the cost of an MOT test at £54.85. You’ll also find that main dealers charge the same, £54.85, even though their hourly labour rate is much higher. So why do garages frequently charge this seemingly random figure? It’s because the Government has capped the maximum price for MOT tests at £54.85.

However, you’ll have noticed when driving around, stopped at a set of traffic lights, a sign cable-tied to a post offering “£25 MOT TESTs”.  I’ve even seen collection and delivery thrown in! These cut-price MOTs are able to exist because the Government allows MOT test centres to discount the cost of an MOT test at their discretion. 

Before you make your decision to call and book in with the garage “offering” the cheapest MOT test, read on as we explore why the discounted MOT test won’t add up for you and will likely end up costing you more than you’d hoped.

Let’s run the numbers on this…

Published VOSA statistics show the average time to complete an MOT test is 45 minutes. Taking an extreme, but not uncommon, example: A garage offering £20 MOTs with collection and delivery thrown in.
If the customer stays 5 miles from the garage, two members of garage staff are required to collect the customer’s vehicle (assuming they do not leave their own transport at the customer’s address). That’s approximately 15 minutes for collection and the same for dropping off. This costs the garage 60mins (collection time + drop off  time) x (2 members of staff) labour. If we take the average earning potential of a mechanic to be £45/hour, the garage has now lost out on earning £45 by other means. Factor in a pass for the customer’s MOT test and the garage’s net earning for the job is -£25!
This doesn’t seem like a good position for any garage to put itself in considering, on average, a pass rate of around 60%.
Knowing the statistics, a garage operating this way over the long term risks an unsustainable line of revenue. This doesn’t even account for garage overheads (premises mortgage/rent; test equipment; etc; etc).

Garages are able to earn money in two ways:

  • charging for labour (usually an hourly rate)
  • mark-up on parts supplied

The Government, by allowing the price of an MOT test to be discounted, leaves the system open to abuse. The morally-dubious garages out there apply a simple psychology. They “dangle the carrot”, creating an MOT price low enough to entice customers in the door. The car “fails” its MOT test and “requires” additional parts and labour to obtain a pass. Yes, VOSA monitors and regulates all UK MOT testing stations, but does that mean that all vehicles that satisfy the PASS criterial detailed in the MOT guide, do indeed pass as they ought to? It would be naive to assume so, but, let’s assume your car has failed, fairly. A garage operating as above is under pressure to get some money back into the company to prevent running a loss! Therefore the quotations for remedial MOT repair work will likely contain unnecessary parts and labour to hike up the costs to claw back some money. Common dubious failure items will be routine ones, typically including headlight alignment, brakes, tyres & suspension components.

To round this off, if you see an MOT on offer at a discounted price, be wary. Your level of caution should be proportional to the size of the MOT discount. Don’t put yourself at risk, if your Glasgow-based, book your MOT test with M B Jarvie MOT Glasgow centre.

MOT Glasgow

    Book Your MOT Test Online

    You can now book your car in online* at our MOT Glasgow test centre here, or if you’d prefer to give us a call, see our contact details here.

    We look forward to seeing you at our MOT Glasgow test centre.

    *PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLINE MOT TEST BOOKINGS ARE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. If we are unable to accommodate your online booking request, we will notify you via the contact details provided.

    BOOK ONLINE

      M B Jarvie Ltd – MOT Glasgow Station Details

      You now know why M B Jarvie MOT Glasgow does not offer discounted MOT tests. Our pricing, operating policy and quality of service keep us busy with satisfied customers. We don’t need to generate work by adopting cut-price gimmicks. Our aim is keep your vehicle on the road and up to the required MOT standard. We therefore endeavour to get your car through its MOT test successfully. To minimise the possibility of failure for avoidable items, we will top up washer, oil and brake levels where required and adjust headlamp aim free of charge.
      Should your vehicle fail it’s MOT test, there is no retest fee. We carry out MOT tests in Glasgow for class 4 light vehicles (cars, that is).

      Our MOT Glasgow testing station is well-placed for your convenience, located just off the M74 motorway:

      • Exit 21 “Kinning Park” (travelling west)
      • Exit 1 “Kinning Park & Tradeston” (travelling east)
      • Or if coming from North Glasgow, over Kingston Bridge:
        Exit 20 “City Centre (s)” (travelling south)


      We are conveniently situated between two Subway stations, Kinning Park and Shields Road – both between 5-10 minute walk. Paisley Road West is a 2 minute walk, offering bus services. Walking to Glasgow city centre takes around 25 mins. See our contact page for more details on how to find us or get in touch.

        When to get an MOT Test

        You are required by law to obtain an MOT certificate for your vehicle*:

        • by its third birthday (three years from its date of first registration)
        • one year from your vehicle’s previous MOT (if it’s more than 3 years old)

        *Applies to Class 4 vehicles

        GOOD TO KNOW: Check you MOT and Road Tax Status online!

          The Earliest Date You Can Renew Your MOT

          Your MOT test certificate is valid for one year. Something you should pay attention to is you MOT expiry date. This is printed on your most recent MOT pass certificate.

          For the organised among you, you can present your vehicle for MOT up to a month (less one day) before the expiry date to perverse the your renewal date – sometimes referred to as a “thirteen month MOT”. Presenting your vehicle for its MOT test early is advisable because, should your vehicle fail its MOT test, you have a “heads up” and time to arrange repairs before the expiry date.
          E.g. To preserve an MOT expiry date of 15 May 2016, the earliest date the vehicle can presented for an MOT test is the 16th of April 2016. Provided your vehicle passes, your new expiry date will be the 15 May 2017, effectively obtaining a thirteen month MOT.

          If circumstance dictates that you must present your vehicle for MOT sooner than one month before the expiry date, this is possible, but your MOT test expiry date will not be preserved. The new MOT test expiry date will be one year from the MOT test date (if carried out earlier then one month before your original MOT expiry date).

          The Government pulled their rather handy MOT text reminder service in August 2014. That’s why we’ve picked up the slack. Request an MOT test reminder.

            If Your MOT Has Expired

            The only exceptions that allow you to drive a vehicle with an expired MOT are:

            • driving to or from somewhere for remedial MOT repair work
            • to an MOT test centre for a pre-arranged MOT test

              How the MOT Test Works

              The MOT test consist of the inspection and measurement of important components and systems on your vehicle to ensure sure they satisfy current legal standards.
              Should you wish, you are able to view the MOT test from a designated viewing area. The Nominated MOT tester may not be interrupted during the MOT test.

              Below follows an official VOSA training video (dusted off from the archives) that takes you through the recommended official MOT inspection routine. So if you can bear wooden performances, this video will give you a pretty good idea of what involved in your car’s MOT test.

                Pre MOT Self-Check – Help Yourself Pass First Time

                Will your car pass its MOT?
                Around half of all fail-items found during the MOT test could be avoided by carrying out simple maintenance. It’s worthwhile carrying out simple checks on items like exterior lights, wiper blades and tyres prior to your MOT test. This will give you a heads-up on items that require attention and gives your vehicle the best chance of passing first time.

                Quick tip: Using a 20 pence piece, you can quickly check your tyres tread depth. The flats make the 20p ideal for checking your tyres tread depth. Simply place the 20p in the shallowest primary cut of your tyres tread (“primary cuts” feature tread wear indicators that are part of the tyre’s construction, to help see when your tyre is close to the legal limit). The lip on the 20p is offset approximately 3mm from the outer diameter of the coin. If your tyre is less than 3mm, we’d recommend you renew that tyre. If you’re unsure as to the safety of your vehicle’s tyres, drop by and we’ll have a look for you, free of charge.

                MOT Glasgow

                  Quick Reference – MOT FAQs

                  You must get an MOT test for your car by either:

                  • the third anniversary of its registration
                  • the anniversary of its last MOT, if it’s over 3 years old

                  You’ll then need to renew your MOT before it expires. The earliest date you can renew is 1 month before it expires – this date is printed on the pass certificate.

                  BOOK ONLINE

                    Share this Post