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New MoT failure figures reveal surprises

BETWEEN January and August 2013 253,000 vehicles failed their first MoT, according to new data. 70 million records from the Vehicle Operation and Services Agency (VOSA) were examined to reveal the patterns of failure for cars receiving their first MoT, required three years from the date of first registration. However, while the best performers have pre-existing reputations for reliability, the bottom of the table reveals some surprises.

Ford shuffles European production

Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday it is realigning its European production in a move that will add two models at the carmaker's Valencia, Spain, factory and an electric version of the Focus at the Saarlouis, Germany, plant. Ford also said the B-Max small wagon will be built in its Craiova, Romania, factory and the plant will add a second, as-yet-unnamed small-segment model.

Bogus DVLA websites costing motorists

A number of websites claiming to offer Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) test booking services are costing drivers up to three times as much for routine applications, according to new reports. The Office of Fair Trading has confirmed that these fake sites exceed the standard DVLA costs for booking a driving theory or practical test – priced at £31 and £62 respectively – but that the independently run services are not actually illegal. On Bing: see pictures of the driving test MSN Cars learner drivers guide Preying on less experienced learner drivers looking to put in for their test, these sites generally appear as sponsored links resulting from an internet search.