The APK, or Algemene Periodieke Keuring (General Periodic Inspection), is a safety and environmental inspection to which cars aged three or four years and older are subjected annually. When and how often your car needs this inspection depends on the type of fuel and the age of the vehicle.
So, petrol cars will need to be inspected after four years and diesel cars after three years. After these two years, petrol cars only need to be inspected once every two years until they are eight years old, while diesels must be inspected every year. After eight years, both petrol and diesel cars are subject to mandatory annual inspections. Strangely enough, cars older than thirty years only need to be inspected every two years, while classic cars (<1960) do not need to be inspected at all.
The APK guarantees that your vehicle is safe to drive at the time of inspection. However, it does not mean that you are exempt from safety issues or repairs until the next APK inspection. The APK checks the technical condition of the car, focusing on safety, the environment, and the vehicle's registration. Among other things, the brakes, shock absorbers, lights, exhaust emissions, and mileage are checked. A total of over a hundred points are inspected.
Is a car that has a recent MOT a good purchase? Well, not necessarily. A car that has supposedly ‘passed its MOT’ could fail on dozens of points next year. Whereas a car that has failed on just one minor point – for example, a broken bulb – could be an excellent purchase. Do you want to be assured that you'll enjoy your used car for a long time to come? Then you should have a pre-purchase inspection, or a full inspection, carried out.
If you want to appear well-prepared for the inspection, you can check a number of things yourself. Think about tyre pressure and tread depth, lights, windscreen wipers, and the oil level. This way, you can avoid an unnecessary rejection. A widespread misconception is that the car owner must attend the inspection themselves. That is not true. Nor do you need to bring the old inspection report with you. You must, of course, keep the new one for a year. If you lose it, you can request a copy from the RDW or the MOT inspection station for a fee.
Finally: you are no longer allowed to drive an unroadworthy car, even if the old inspection report is technically still valid!
Has your car ever failed its MOT? If so: for what reason(s)? Share it with our followers! Rent a car in Kerkrade In the vicinity of Adrem? Of course, our cars have an MOT!
