Fixing missing or wrong MOT test data
This page is for garage owners, AEs and quality control managers who find tests missing from MOTLogs, upload errors, wrong flags or an empty At-risk list, and need to know what to do.
Why is a test or a whole month missing?
Work through these checks in order:
- Scope picker. Confirm the right organisation, station and month are chosen at the top. The month may not be the one you expect.
- Station. If you chose one station, tests from other stations are hidden. Choose All stations to compare.
- Upload. MOTLogs only has what you have uploaded. Export the month from MTS and upload it again; see Uploading MOT test logs. Uploading again is safe.
- Processing. After an upload MOTLogs processes the file, which can take a little while. Reload the page and check again.
- Month. A test belongs to the month it started in. A test that started late on the last day of a month appears in that month, even if it ended the next day.
If the list still says "No MOT tests in this period.", the station may not be linked to your organisation. Contact the person who administers your organisation.
What do the upload errors mean?
| Message | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ".xyz files can't be uploaded. Export a .csv (or .xls) from MTS instead." | Wrong file type. | Export CSV from MTS. |
| "The file is too short or not in a recognised format." | The file has no rows or fewer than two columns. | Re-export from MTS and do not edit the file. |
| "Bad file format for name." | The first row is not a recognised MOT test log or TQI layout. | Check you exported Test logs (not another report) and have not opened and re-saved it. |
| "The MOT test log is missing required column(s): list." | A required column is absent. | Export again with all columns. |
| "The MOT test log has no header row." | The file is empty. | Export again. |
| "You do not have permission to upload this file type." | An internal stations file. | Not for customer use. |
| "The file could not be processed." | An unexpected failure reading the file. | Re-export and retry; contact support if it repeats. |
| "The server could not read this file. Check it is an unmodified MTS export." | The reply was not a normal message. | As above. |
| "Upload did not complete." | The upload was interrupted. | Check your connection and upload again. |
After any failure, the list shows the file as Failed and the note "Fix the files marked failed above and upload them again."
Why does the tester show as a code and not a name?
The Tester column shows the DVSA user ID because MTS test logs carry the ID only. MOTLogs adds a new tester record automatically the first time it sees an ID. See the Testers page for names.
Why is a test flagged when it looks fine?
Flags come from the stored times, IP addresses and results, compared with your hours and the metric settings. Common causes:
- Declared or working hours are missing or wrong. The "Test time vs working hours" bar says "No opening hours on record for this day". Add or correct the station's hours.
- Station IP addresses are not declared. If none are on record, tests can look like they came from an undeclared IP.
- Metrics set too tight. Open ... then Metrics and review the thresholds.
Where the test was genuinely fine, justify it with a comment; see Justifying a test.
What if the details of a test are wrong?
You cannot edit a test's details in MOTLogs; they come from the DVSA export. Correct the record at the source, export again and upload again. MOTLogs updates the test when its details have changed. Your comments and Mark as complete are kept.
Why does the At-risk list look empty after I justified tests?
Justified tests leave the At-risk view by design. Pick the All chip to see them as Justified, or open MOT test logs in the menu. See Filtering the MOT test log and the At-risk view.
Reference
| Symptom | First thing to try |
|---|---|
| No tests | Check organisation, station and month; upload the month |
| Upload fails | Re-export a fresh CSV from MTS; do not edit it |
| Missing column error | Export the full test log |
| Everything flagged out of hours | Check declared and working hours |
| Many tests flagged as undeclared IP | Check the station's declared IP addresses |
| Flag you disagree with | Justify the test with a comment |
| At-risk view empty | Tests are justified, or none exceed the threshold |