The majority of cars on the road today are made using steel, this is a great product to make cars from but unfortunately this material will oxidise over time and it ends up as rust. You may at some point find your vehicle failing its MOT on excessive corrosion, damage, fracture or inadequate repair within a prescribed area. It is very important if this happens to get the vehicle repaired correctly and safely. The MOT itself does state that certain types of repair are unsuitable and that the correct welding of the rusted areas must be carried out for the vehicle to pass the MOT.
“Gas brazing, soldering, adhesive bonding, fibre reinforcement and body filler are bonding processes and are not regarded as strong enough for repairs to load bearing members although they are normally adequate for other repair work”.
The effect of corrosion on the safety of a vehicle depends on the extent of the corrosion and the function of the section or component on which the corrosion has occurred. A small amount of corrosion in an important part of a vehicle structure can make a vehicle unsafe where it compromises the load bearing capacity of the structure. On the other hand, excessive corrosion on non structural sections may have little or no effect on the vehicle’s safety.
