Jamie Dawson

1 When Is a New Car's First MOT? The 3-Year Rule (and the Exceptions)

Three years from first registration — not from when you bought it. Finding the real date, the taxi/ambulance exceptions, and what happens if you miss it.

26 Aug 2026 1 min read → 2 Lost Your MOT Certificate? Why It Barely Matters Now (UK)

The paper is a receipt; the database is the record. How to print your MOT history free — and the one situation where a duplicate certificate is worth getting.

26 Aug 2026 1 min read → 3 MOT-Exempt Vehicles: The 40-Year Rule and the V112 Declaration (UK)

Rolling 40-year exemption, the 'substantially changed' catch, and the V112 declaration at tax time — plus why exempt never means unroadworthy.

26 Aug 2026 1 min read → 4 How Early Can You MOT a Car Without Losing the Renewal Date? (UK)

A month minus a day: the earliest you can test while keeping your renewal date — and the date printed on your certificate that makes it foolproof.

26 Aug 2026 1 min read → 5 Failed the MOT? Retest Rules, the Free Window & Driving After a Fail (UK)

The free-retest windows nobody explains properly — and the dangerous-vs-major distinction that decides whether you can legally drive home.

26 Aug 2026 2 min read → 6 MOT Advisories Explained: What They Mean and Which Ones Matter (UK)

An advisory isn't a fail — it's a forecast. Which advisories to act on now, which can wait, and how to read a stranger's advisory history before buying.

26 Aug 2026 1 min read → 7 Your Fire Risk Assessment Found Problems. What Proves You Fixed Them?

A Brighton landlord was prosecuted after ten months of repeat visits. The offence was not finding faults. It was not closing them out, on the record.

25 Aug 2026 5 min read → 8 Changed Your Car's Colour? How to Update the DVLA (Respray & Wrap Rules)

Resprays and full wraps must be notified to DVLA: free, by post, section-and-sign. Decals and stripes don't. The process, the ANPR risk, and the insurer step.

17 Aug 2026 2 min read → 9 Car Tax Websites That Charge a Fee: What They Actually Do

Quick answer: vehicle tax is paid to DVLA and to nobody else, and the official service at gov.uk/vehicle-tax charges

14 Aug 2026 3 min read → 10 Dacia Service History: Every Way to Check It (UK)

Quick answer: Dacia has no public online portal for service history. Dacia is part of the Renault group, so the mechanics are

12 Aug 2026 3 min read → 11 Renault Service History: Every Way to Check It (UK)

Quick answer: Renault has no public online portal where anyone can look up a car's service history. Franchised Renault dealers

12 Aug 2026 3 min read → 12 MG Service History: Every Way to Check It (UK)

Quick answer: MG has no public online portal for service history. Franchised MG dealers record work on MG's digital service

12 Aug 2026 3 min read →