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Original poster

Daft question - car seat/MOT

30 replies

babycornplease · 03/09/2020 19:11

Really quick (and probably silly) question, MOT is tomorrow and I can't for the life of me remember whether I need to take the car seat out (or what I did the last two times!).

Will need to use it to drop dd off at nursery before I take the car in, please can someone tell me whether I need to make a detour home to take it out or not! Google is telling me varying different things...

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 03/09/2020 19:15

It's been a few years (due to living abroad!) But last time I needed to uninstall them and pop in the boot.

Gin4thewin · 03/09/2020 19:15

I got an advisory because the mot garage couldn't be arsed to move a high backed booster seat. Which they should of done. Its fitted seats they can't move but just ends up an advisory as belt couldn't be tested

Blackbear19 · 03/09/2020 19:17

I've never removed ours. The garage just note they couldn't be tested.

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cantstopsinginglittlebabybum · 03/09/2020 19:17

I get advisory's because they don't remove the seats.

LunaLoveFood · 03/09/2020 19:17

Are you having a courtesy car? I took ours out and put them in the courtesy car (good job I did as it took a lot longer to do than they thought as the car needed a new tyre to pass so I had to pick the dc up using their seats.)

Original poster
babycornplease · 03/09/2020 19:25

Yeah that's what I read. It's a joie 360 spin that is an absolute bugger to reinstall, was wondering if I could get away with it... bloody thing is going to fail anyway, I just know it.

No, no courtesy car! Because 'Covid'. So I've got to drop her at nursery, race home to take seat out, race to garage, get a taxi to work, then do the same thing backwards after work, and then faff about reinstalling pain in the backside seat before I can get her back from nursery. Mind you, there may well be no car to actually collect, just a sad lump of scrap metal on wheels...

(Also no usual wash and clean inside because 'covid', gutted that's literally the only time my poor car gets a bit of attention!)

OP posts:
justlikejasper · 03/09/2020 19:29

@babycornplease you don't need to remove the seat you will just get an advisory on the MOT certificate to say the seatbelt couldn't be tested.

CurlsLDN · 03/09/2020 19:33

I had my car MOTd last month, it failed on tyres, but no comment on the car seat, which remained in place through the first and second MOT where it passed.

If you do need to remove it could you ask them to store it at the garage?

FishyMcFishyfingersFace · 03/09/2020 20:24

Dh used to work for a garage that did MOTs, the technicians are not allowed, by law, to alter cars during an MOT. If there are car seats in they can not move them, they can not test that seatbelt and the MOT results will reflect that. It is recommended car seats are removed before the inspection starts.

Also goes for other things like air fresheners dangling from rear view mirrors, they are not supposed to be there so shove them in the glove box beforehand.

mindutopia · 03/09/2020 20:44

I've never removed a car seat. It isn't in any way attached with the seat belt, so I can't imagine why they wouldn't be able to test it with the seat in. No advisories. That said, I'm not entirely sure my garage checks much in an MOT. I think they just leave it an hour or two, call me to collect it and send the bill.

Original poster
babycornplease · 03/09/2020 20:49

@mindutopia ha! I am pretty sure mine is the same! I reckon they'll take one look at my poor battered and bruised car and fail it on sight.

I had a look at my past MOT's and there are no advisories?! I am pretty sure I left the seat in last year...

Ugh in two minds about what to do! Sorry, I realise this is a very dull dilemma to have. It's just such a faff and hassle to take it out, plus strapped for time at both ends of the day etc.

OP posts:
Pombearbuffet · 03/09/2020 21:44

I always leave mine in and the car always passes.

bathorshower · 03/09/2020 21:56

We take ours out, in case the car fails thoroughly and we don't get it back for a while (and therefore need to use the car seat in another vehicle). Hasn't happened yet, but a few more years and the car will be approaching that condition I suspect.

Gulsink · 03/09/2020 22:18

I take mine out. I left them in once and the garage rang to ask if they could take them out, otherwise they couldn't test the seatbelts (that might have been trapped underneath).
I would've thought if they can't test the seatbelts it would be a fail rather than an advisory.

AuditAngel · 03/09/2020 22:20

I can’t comment on the car seat as we are past that stage, but my car was serviced and MOT’d yesterday and it was washed an£ hoovered (the dusting of the dashboard was crap, they missed a huge swathe of dust!)

mineofuselessinformation · 03/09/2020 22:24

It's so the seatbelts can be tested.
Every time I've had my car done, they have been left done up.
If you can easily take the car seats out, do it.

ChickenwingChickenwing · 03/09/2020 22:31

I got an advisory because the mot garage couldn't be arsed to move a high backed booster seat. Which they should of done.

It's not their responsibility, it's yours.

Eng123 · 03/09/2020 22:36

Leave it in. From memory it's not a advisory you get but a statement that the belt could not be tested - one less thing to fail on.

  • adopts tin hat for safety brigade barrage!
Burnthurst187 · 03/09/2020 22:41

@Gin4thewin

I got an advisory because the mot garage couldn't be arsed to move a high backed booster seat. Which they should of done. Its fitted seats they can't move but just ends up an advisory as belt couldn't be tested
They test the vehicle as it's presented to them, they haven't got time to remove child seats. Imagine if they removed it, tested the car, put seat back in incorrectly and there was a crash. They would be liable

Leave it in and have an advisory

Fatted · 03/09/2020 22:42

@FishyMcFishyfingersFace so my garage have broken the law by altering the height of my driver's seat. Interesting 🤔

Yetiyoga · 03/09/2020 22:57

I had to take a child with my today (high back booster but still using 5 point harness so it is clipped in with a seatbelt)
I had an advisory 1 year so this time I unclipped it and lay it on its side. All passed. It was logistically impossible for me to take the seat home so this was the only way.

ChickenwingChickenwing · 03/09/2020 23:10

@Eng123

Leave it in. From memory it's not a advisory you get but a statement that the belt could not be tested - one less thing to fail on.
  • adopts tin hat for safety brigade barrage!

This is really bad advice. Of all the non mechanical (engine/tyres etc) parts of your car that get tested the seatbelt holding your child's seat is probably the very most important. Just remove the seat. It's not even difficult.

Original poster
babycornplease · 04/09/2020 06:21

@bathorshower actually this is a really good point. As I said, poor car is looking a bit sorry for itself and should probably prepare for the worst. I'll take it out. Best be safe than sorry!

@AuditAngel that is so disappointing!!!

OP posts:
HarrisonFived · 04/09/2020 07:15

@babycornplease does your car not have isofix? Only asking as I was surprised when I read that your car seats are a pain to install, we have two joie 360 spin seats and apart from them being so darn heavy, I find them surprisingly easy to install/remove! X

Original poster
babycornplease · 04/09/2020 12:50

@HarrisonFived it does have isofix but I have a terrible time trying to get the arm of the seat to turn green, it takes ages wiggling it to get it past halfway red and green. Any tricks or tips to get it quicker welcome!

Anyhoo, I took it out, just to be on the safe side, car passed the MOT (by the skin of it's teeth, or tread on it's tyres for a more car like version), so need to race there after work and reinstall flipping temperamental seat and race to nursery before I get fined for being late.

OP posts:
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