The Different Results of the ITV Test

When you take your vehicle for the ITV test, the result can be favorable, desfavorable, or negativa (favourable, unfavourable or negative), and although we all hope for a favourable pass, it is important to know the implications of the other results, and what we have to do about it.

Whenever we subject our vehicles to the ITV test, there will always be doubts, although we will also hope, that we will pass with flying colours, but in the worst cases, we will be left in a situation where we are not allowed to drive the car away from the test centre.

The good news is that a negative result is not that common. According to data from the Association of Entities for the Technical Inspection of Vehicles of the Community of Madrid (AEMA-ITV), 81 percent of the vehicles inspected in Madrid pass the inspection the first time, however, there is another 19 percent who receive a different result.

IF THE ITV IS FAVORABLE

If the ITV result is “favorable”, it is possible to continue driving safely and without the need to return until the next test is due. However, sometimes, when the Technical Inspection is favorable, some slight defects may have been detected. In this case, the owner of the vehicle must repair them as soon as possible, although it will not be necessary to return to the ITV station to submit the car to a new technical inspection.

IF THE ITV IS DESFAVORABLE

If the report received from the ITV test shows that the technical inspection is “desfavorable”, this means that our vehicle has serious defects that put our safety and that of other road users at risk. Consequently, we will only be able to drive the vehicle to a workshop to repair the faults and return to the station to carry out a new inspection. The time that we have to correct the defects of our car is 2 months and we must return to the ITV station to verify that the detected defects have already been corrected within that time. Remember though, we are only allowed to drive to the workshop and back to the test centre in this case.

As a general rule, this second inspection is free if it is done within 2 months. If this is not the case, and we go to the ITV after that time, the vehicle will have to be inspected again, and we must pay again.

IF THE ITV IS NEGATIVA

The technical inspection with a negative result, “negativa”, for its part, is due to the fact that at least one defect is considered very serious because it constitutes a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or has an impact on the environment. In this case, the vehicle is no longer permitted to drive on public roads.

If this situation occurs, we cannot even drive away from the test centre, and must contract a tow truck (grua) to transfer the vehicle to the workshop to be repaired.

Once again, we have a period of 2 months to carry out the repairs and return to the test centre, but remember that the vehicle cannot be driven until the test has been completed successfully, and so not only must the tow truck take the vehicle from the test centre to the workshop, it must also be used to take the car back for the subsequent, and hopefully successful, inspection.

Driving a vehicle without an ITV, which includes if your vehicle has failed, will result in a considerable fine.

The ITV inspectors point out that other than the economic sanctions that driving with an disfavorable or negativa ITV may represent, the main reason to keep the ITV up to date is to understand that it is a procedure that saves lives. Specifically, 723 lives a year and if the total number of vehicles that do not go to the ITV having the obligation to do so, did so, 353 additional lives could be saved.

Remember, you can subject your vehicle to the ITV inspection 30 days before your current test is due to expire and the time will be carried forward until your next test.

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