Would my Focus pass the MOT with the back seat down?

[ScaniaPBman]

This is one for a MOT tester really..........

My Focus hatchback is used frequently to carry things with the back seat folded down.

For my MOT today I cleared everything out, put the seat up and buckled up the belts in preparation.

Now if I had left the seat down, or even left all my stuff in, would it have failed because the tester could not access the belts?

IT's a bit of an academic question now really since it passed OK, but next time I could save myself some time clearing out and then putting all the stuff back.

Thanks in advance,

ScaniaPBman.

 

[trailertrash]

Hi Mike, I had a Mondeo estate 3 yrs ago which I used for my work and it passed at least 2 MOTs with the rear seats down and stock in the back. I haven't got the old certs but from memory they just mark 'Not Available' or some such. I can't imagine that the law has changed...

[iantt]

it would be pass and advise in your case if there was difficulty in fixing seat back in the upright locked position due to large or fragile items in the way.

[iantt]

" this is not mandatory where it would be unreasonable, such as due to the presence of heavy, fragile or numerous passenger effects or other articles"
that applies to rear seats and belts.

[iantt]

a good case would be a dog cage fixed in the rear.

[ScaniaPBman]

Thanks guys for the fast response,

Guess that answers my question well.

ScaniaPBman.

[biff55]

iantt's  MOT motto is    "get yer junk outta the trunk , or i'll fail yer jalopy"

:-)

 

[iantt]

nope, leave your junk in the trunk!! 

[greysquirrel]

Surprisingly, if there is a child seat fitted on a rear seatbelt, they don't check that belt. I can see why, but just find it odd that the most important belt in the car is not checked for safety.

[ScaniaPBman]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic but I have done so to keep all the relevant info in the same place.

So I went to have my Focus MOTed today. As discussed above it had the rear seat folded down and the back full of my regular junk.

This was not my regular testing station and it was my first time with the back seat down after the recent change to the MOT rules several months back.

I enquired, and all the staff there were adamant, put the seat up so that the belts could be checked or fail.

I had to make a pile of my kit outside the garage and put it in after. The car passed OK, incidentally.

My question to our regular tester members is just this, have the rules on this situation changed or are my new testing station testers making up the rules as they go along?

Thanks in anticipation,

ScaniaPBman.

PS. They said also that rear child seats must be removed as well.

 

Edited August 13, 2018 by ScaniaPBman
PS added.

[iantt]

yeah, its changed or clarified depending on how you interperate the wording . now its in black and white you can refuse to test . 

[isetta]

The MOT manual is available on the govt website for the public to view. I have not checked it myself with regard to your query (it was updated May 2018).

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/

[iantt]

18 minutes ago, isetta said:

The MOT manual is available on the govt website for the public to view. I have not checked it myself with regard to your query (it was updated May 2018).

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov.uk/documents/manuals/class3457/

thats where i just been and checked as i didnt know.  ive only done 6 mots since the changes came in , not enough to have all the changes in my head yet. 

[ScaniaPBman]

7.1.2 Seat belt fitment and condition

You must check any visible parts of:

• all seat belts fitted
• all child seat restraints fitted

You should lift folded seats to inspect seat belts. However, you don't have to do this if you'd need tools to do it.

If you can't lift seats because there are heavy or fragile items on the seat, you can refuse to test the vehicle. For details, see item 4d in the introduction.

Item 4d says

The reasons for refusing to carry out the test are:

The tester considers a load or other items, or insecurity of a load or other items, would prevent a proper test being carried out – unless the load is secured or removed.

 

The above is extracted from the most recent MOT manual cited above.

However there is some wriggle room since the wording says "you can refuse" not "you MUST refuse"

Anyway thanks for your time and advice.

ScaniaPBman.