Can your car pass its mot with the airbag light or SRS on?
Answer
Yes it will fail! If your airbag light is on or your SRS supplementary restraint system warning lamp is on it will fail its MOT. It comes under section 7.1.5 and 7.1.6 in the manual and is a Major failure. You can also try to reset the airbag or SRS light which may resolve the problem.
What the DVSA MOT manual states is the following.
7.1.5. Airbags
This inspection is for all airbags fitted as original equipment other than on Class 3 vehicles.
A passenger airbag that is switched off is not a defect.
| DEFECT | CATEGORY |
|---|---|
| (a) An airbag fitted as original equipment obviously missing | Major |
| (b) Not in use | |
| (c) An airbag obviously inoperative | Major |
7.1.6. Supplementary restraint system (SRS)
| DEFECT | CATEGORY |
|---|---|
| (a) An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction | Major |
What is an Airbag or SRS light and how to fix it?
An airbag light or SRS supplementary restraint system warning lamp is the cars way of warning you there is a fault with the safety of your car. It could be an airbag faulty, switch or sensor. Its difficult to tell what it is without scanning your car using an OBD2 scanner.
The warning light could be a simple easy fix. Common airbag fault is when you push the front seat back and it moves the connector and just needs to be reset. See below on how to reset the light.
Where to buy a OBD 2 scanner from?
You need to buy a OBD 2 Scanner to plug into your car to reset the airbag or SRS light, these scanners use to cost £1000s but now they are so cheap you could buy one for around £50. This is the same price we would charge to scan your car each time in our workshop! If you buy your own, you can scan your car as many times as you want and any other cars you or your friends and family have.
Autel is one of the best OBD2 reader manufactures out there. We have listed the 3 best cheapest OBD 2 scanners in our opinion below. Please be aware of fake or cheap OBD2 readers that could brick your car and cause more damage. The readers below we have used and tested in our workshop, we cant recommend or comment on other brands.