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Fordthorne
MOT test station 75095 at Ford House, 281 Penarth Road, Cardiff CF11 8YZ, in Cardiff. Authorised for Classes 4, 5 and 7. Listed as active on 26 Feb 2026.
Classes authorised
3 of 6
Classes 4, 5 and 7
Stations within 5 miles
142
199 within 10 miles
Nearest alternative
0.1 miles
Royal Mail Group PLC Fleet and Maintenance Services
Station details
- DVSA site number
- 75095
- Register status
- Listed as active on 26 Feb 2026 (DVSA Active MOT test stations)
- Classes authorised
- Class 4: Cars, light vans up to 3,000kg, motor caravans, taxis, minibuses up to 12 seatsClass 5: Private passenger vehicles with 13 or more seatsClass 7: Goods vehicles 3,000 to 3,500kg
- Address
- Ford House, 281 Penarth Road, Cardiff
- Postcode
- CF11 8YZ
- Council district
- Cardiff (128 listed stations)
- Region
- Wales
- Map position
- full postcode · 51.4661, -3.1908
What Fordthorne can test
| Class | Vehicles | DVSA max |
|---|---|---|
| Class 4 | Cars, light vans up to 3,000kg, motor caravans, taxis, minibuses up to 12 seats | £54.85 |
| Class 5 | Private passenger vehicles with 13 or more seats | £59.55 to £80.65 |
| Class 7 | Goods vehicles 3,000 to 3,500kg | £58.60 |
Caps are DVSA statutory maximums; typical charges are this site's observed ranges. Prices are not part of the DVSA register.
About this station
Fordthorne is an MOT test station at Ford House, 281 Penarth Road, Cardiff, CF11 8YZ, in Cardiff (Wales). It appears in DVSA's Active MOT test stations dataset dated 26 February 2026 under site number 75095, and is authorised for 3 of the six MOT test classes: cars, light vans and motor caravans up to 3,000kg (Class 4), private passenger vehicles with 13 or more seats (Class 5) and goods vehicles between 3,000 and 3,500kg (Class 7).
For Class 7 goods vehicles (3,000 to 3,500kg, the long-wheelbase Transit and Sprinter bracket) it is one of 33 authorised stations in the district and one of 55 within 10 miles. It is one of 21 stations in Cardiff authorised for Class 5 private passenger vehicles with 13 or more seats, a class most garages cannot test; 32 stations within 10 miles hold it. It also tests Class 4 cars and light vans, the class 127 of the district's 128 stations share.
The nearest listed alternative is Royal Mail Group PLC Fleet and Maintenance Services, 0.1 miles away (Classes 4 and 7). 142 other stations sit within 5 miles and 199 within 10 miles, which makes this a dense area for MOT choice. The five nearest stations lie within 0.3 miles.
The DVSA statutory maximum fee applies to every class this station tests: Class 4 £54.85, Class 5 £59.55 to £80.65, Class 7 £58.60. Garages can charge less and most do: £30-45 is the typical Class 4 car price in Wales according to this site's price guide, against the £54.85 cap. Class 7 van tests typically run £40-55 against the £58.60 cap. Confirm the price with the station before booking; prices are not part of the DVSA register.
Companies House records FORDTHORNE LIMITED (company number 00433521) against this station, matched by an exact name and postcode match; its register status on 1 May 2026 was "Active". The company was incorporated on 18 Apr 1947 (79 years on the register), files dormant company accounts, and its registered activity is 99999 Dormant Company.
The phone number DVSA lists for the station is 029 2022 3100. Opening hours, booking and prices are not part of the register; call before travelling.
Fordthorne and its nearest alternatives
This station is the amber pin; the 5 closest listed stations are navy. Point at a row in the table below to light up its pin, or open a pin for directions.
- Exact postcode position
- Area centroid, approximate (1)
- Fordthorne, or the row you are pointing at
Outline: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Interactive tiles: OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles, data from OpenStreetMap contributors. No cookies and no account: your position, if you share it, stays in the page.
Nearest MOT Test Stations
The five listed stations closest to CF11 8YZ, straight-line distance from the postcode. Stations with motorcycle, van or PSV authorisation link to their own page.
| Station | Town | Distance | Classes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail Group PLC Fleet and Maintenance Services220-228 Penarth Road, CF11 8TA | Cardiff | 0.1 miles | 123457 |
| Grange Service Station (district list)91-97 Clive St, CF11 7HN | Cardiff | 0.2 miles | 123457 |
| Wessex Garages (district list)232 Penarth Road, CF11 8LR | Cardiff | 0.2 miles | 123457 |
| Renault Cardiff295 Penarth Road, CF11 8UU | Cardiff | 0.2 miles | 123457 |
| Sam MOT Testing Centre (district list)Unit 27/28H, CF11 8BE | Cardiff | 0.3 miles | 123457 |
Registered company
Companies House, Basic Company Data snapshot 1 May 2026; matched by an exact name and postcode match. Register facts only, no officer or personal data.
- Registered name
- FORDTHORNE LIMITED
- Company number
- 00433521
- Companies House status on 1 May 2026
- Active
- Incorporated
- 18 Apr 1947 (79 years on the register)
- Company type
- Private Limited Company
- Accounts
- Files dormant company accounts; last made up to 28 Feb 2025
- Registered activity (SIC)
- 99999 Dormant Company
- Registered office
- CARDIFF, CF11
Full register entry on ukcompanyfinder.com (a Digital Signet site). Register status is Companies House's wording on the snapshot date; the DVSA list, not the company register, is the authority on whether the station tests.
What an MOT costs at a Classes 4, 5 and 7 station in Wales
DVSA maximum, Class 4 car
£54.85
Same cap in England, Scotland and Wales
Wales typical (Class 4 car)
£30-45
From this site's regional guide for Wales
Free retest
10 days
If the vehicle stays at the station for repair
| Class | Vehicles | DVSA max | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 4 | Cars, light vans up to 3,000kg, motor caravans, taxis, minibuses up to 12 seats | £54.85 | £30-45 |
| Class 5 | Private passenger vehicles with 13 or more seats | £59.55 to £80.65 | £50-80 |
| Class 7 | Goods vehicles 3,000 to 3,500kg | £58.60 | £40-55 |
Caps are the DVSA statutory maximums (unchanged since April 2010, re-verified 24 August 2026); typical charges are this site's observed ranges. The MOT fee is VAT-exempt. Cardiff and Swansea are competitive; rural mid-Wales is more limited. See the full fee guide and how to pay less.
Related MOT cost guides
Van MOT Cost
£54.85 under 3,000kg (Class 4), £58.60 for 3,000-3,500kg (Class 7).
Bus and PSV MOT Cost
Class 5 £59.55-£80.65 by seat count; Class 5a up to £124.50.
Car MOT Cost (Class 4)
£54.85 cap, £30-45 typical, what Class 4 covers.
MOT Fees by Vehicle Class
The full DVSA cap schedule: £29.65 bike to £124.50 large PSV, with typical charges.
Where this listing comes from
- Register: DVSA Active MOT test stations (GOV.UK publication), dataset dated 26 Feb 2026. Every station on this page was listed as active on 26 Feb 2026. DVSA updates the list roughly quarterly; authorisations can change between releases, so check with the station before travelling.
- Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Geography: districts, regions and distances derived from postcodes via postcodes.io (ONS Postcode Directory). Contains OS data (c) Crown copyright and database right 2026; Contains Royal Mail data (c) Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; Contains National Statistics data (c) Crown copyright and database right 2026.
- Company details: Company details from Companies House, Basic Company Data snapshot 2026-05-01, matched by name and postcode; no officer or personal data is used. ukcompanyfinder.com is a Digital Signet site.
- Not on the register: prices, opening hours, websites and booking. The £54.85 cap and typical charges on this page come from this site's verified fee guide, not from DVSA's station list.
- Verify or remove a listing: station owners can email questions@motcost.com. Removal requests are honoured on the next refresh.