MOT versus service: two separate UK requirements

In the UK, the annual MOT test (required once a car is 3 years old) is a legal roadworthiness check, entirely separate from a manufacturer-recommended service. A car can pass its MOT with an overdue oil change, since the MOT does not check service history, which is why tracking service intervals separately, as this tool does, matters even if the MOT itself is up to date.

Timing belt failure and the "interference engine" risk

Many UK garages warn that on an interference engine, a snapped timing belt can bend valves and destroy the engine, turning a service that might cost a few hundred pounds into a repair bill running into thousands. Because belt intervals are usually set by time as well as mileage (commonly 5 years or 60,000-100,000 miles, whichever comes first), check your handbook for the time-based limit too, not just the mileage this tool tracks.