Car guides: the APK (MOT), servicing and automatic gearboxes
Clear answers from the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, an independent garage for all makes in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde and an RDW-approved APK station. Written for drivers who are new to the Dutch system.
The short answer
Here you find our guides on the Dutch APK (MOT), car servicing, automatic gearboxes and air conditioning. Each guide starts with a short answer, explains the rules with sources such as the RDW, and tells you what you can check yourself. Need help? Call +31 10 479 00 00.
The Dutch APK (MOT)
- APK (MOT) checklist: what does the inspector check?
What does the inspector check at the Dutch APK (MOT)? Tyres, lights, brakes, emissions and warning lights explained, with RDW figures for 2025. - The most common APK (MOT) findings in 2025 (RDW figures)
Tyre pressure, tread depth and dipped beam top the list: the 10 most common points on the Dutch APK report in 2025, from 7.09 million RDW inspections. - When does your car need an APK (MOT)? Dutch intervals by fuel and age
Petrol or electric: first APK at 4 years. Diesel or LPG: at 3 years, then every year. All Dutch APK intervals and how to find your car’s APK date. - Preparing your car for the APK (MOT): what you can check yourself
Lights, tyres, wipers, dashboard warning lights: with this checklist you can check your car yourself before the Dutch APK. - APK (MOT) for an electric or hybrid car: what does the inspector check?
Electric cars and hybrids need an APK (MOT) too. Find out when, what the inspector checks on the high-voltage system and what is different for a hybrid. - Importing a car to the Netherlands: RDW inspection, number plate and APK (MOT)
Bringing a car from abroad onto a Dutch number plate? Read the RDW steps and fees, how bpm tax works and when your imported car needs an APK. - Rejection, repair or advisory point: how to read your APK (MOT) report
Rejection point, repair point or advisory point on your Dutch APK report? What each point means, what you need to do and when you can still drive. - Tyre tread depth and the APK (MOT): what is the requirement?
For the Dutch APK your tyres need at least 1.6 mm of tread. How the inspector measures it, plus the rules on damage, tyre size and tyre pressure. - The APK (MOT) particle test: what does it mean for your diesel?
Since 1 January 2023 the Dutch APK counts particles on diesels with a DPF. The limit is 1,000,000 per cm³. Why diesels fail and what you can do. - Lights and the APK (MOT): dipped beam, headlight aim and bulbs
Which lights does the Dutch APK check, how accurately must your dipped beam be aimed and may you fit LED bulbs? Explained with the rules of the RDW. - Rust and the APK (MOT): when does rust mean a fail?
Not every rust spot means a fail. Read how the inspector assesses rust, what the RDW rust limit of 2E means and which rust repairs are accepted. - Windscreen chip or crack: will your car fail the APK (MOT)?
Will a chip or crack in your windscreen fail the Dutch APK? The RDW rule explained: 20 mm, 50 mm, branched cracks and what to do next. - Engine warning light on: will your car fail the APK (MOT)?
Engine warning light on before your Dutch APK? How the inspector reads the EOBD, when an emissions test follows and when your car fails. - Airbag or seat belt warning light on: what it means for the APK (MOT)
Airbag or seat belt tensioner light on? Find out when your car fails the Dutch APK (MOT) and when the inspector notes a repair advisory point. - Oil leaks and other fluid leaks at the APK (MOT)
Is your car leaking oil, coolant or brake fluid? Find out which leak fails the Dutch APK (MOT), which is a repair advisory point and what to do next. - Motorhome APK (MOT) in the Netherlands: intervals, weight and what is checked
How often does your motorhome need its APK in the Netherlands? RDW intervals by fuel and age, the 3,500 kg limit, what is checked and winter storage. - What does an APK (MOT) cost in the Netherlands in 2026? Price, retest and extra costs
What does an APK cost in the Netherlands? Our prices by fuel type, what is included, the national price range and the RDW fine for an expired APK. - APK (MOT) expired in Rotterdam? Fine, rules and booking
APK (MOT) expired? You may only drive to an inspection appointment. Read about the € 190 fine and book an English-speaking APK in Rotterdam. - Failed APK (MOT)? Repairs and retest in Rotterdam
Car failed its APK, with us or elsewhere? We repair the failure points and retest your car. English spoken. RDW-approved in Rotterdam. Price in advance.
Servicing
- Your car’s service schedule: how to read it
Kilometres or years, fixed or flexible intervals, the service reminder on your dashboard: how to read your car’s service schedule and know what is due. - Keeping your manufacturer’s warranty when you service outside the dealer
Can you have your car serviced outside the dealer and keep the manufacturer’s warranty? The EU rules, the conditions and the paperwork to keep. - Winter car checklist: getting your car ready for the cold
Getting your car ready for a Dutch winter? Use this checklist for the battery, tyres, screenwash, wipers, lights and coolant before the first frost. - Servicing an electric car: what maintenance is still needed?
An electric car has no oil or spark plugs, but the brakes, tyres, filters and 12V battery still need servicing. Read what is needed and how often. - Car left standing for a long time: what should you check?
Has your car been standing for weeks or months? Check the battery, tyres, brakes, fluids, APK and insurance before you drive again. Step-by-step list. - Major service and APK (MOT) together: what does it cost and what do you save?
Major service and APK in one visit: what you pay, what you save and how to plan it. The APK is free with a major service, except for a Tesla. - Car battery replacement: when, which battery and what it costs
Starting problems or an old battery? How long a car battery lasts, what AGM and EFB mean, why a new battery may need registering and what it costs. - Are winter tyres compulsory in the Netherlands? Rules at home and abroad
Winter tyres are not compulsory in the Netherlands. Germany, Austria and France do have rules. Country rules, tyre symbols, tread depth and all-season. - Brake pads and discs: when to replace them, squealing brakes and costs
Squealing, grinding or vibrating when you brake? When brake pads and discs need replacing, what the Dutch APK requires and what replacement costs. - Dutch garage terms explained: APK (MOT), grote beurt, kenteken and more (in Dutch)
APK, afkeurpunt, grote beurt, kenteken, prijsopgave: a plain-English glossary of the Dutch garage terms expats meet, with links to our English guides. - How often to change engine oil? Km and years
How often should you change your engine oil? Usually every 15,000 to 30,000 km or after 1 to 2 years. English spoken in Rotterdam, price in advance. - First car? Servicing, APK (MOT) and costs
Bought your first car? What to arrange in the first week, when servicing and the APK are due and what it costs. English spoken, garage in Rotterdam. - Engine warning light on? Meaning and diagnosis in Rotterdam
Engine warning light on or flashing? Find out when to drive on and when to stop. English spoken in Rotterdam, diagnosis price in advance. - Oil warning light on? Red or orange
Oil warning light on? Red means stop now, the oil pressure is too low. Read what to do, then have the cause found. English-speaking garage in Rotterdam.
Known problems by make
- Wet timing belt cars: which makes and engines have a belt in oil?
Which cars have a wet timing belt? PureTech, EcoBoost, EcoBlue and more, with build years from the sources and how to check your own car. - Which Peugeot engines have known problems? PureTech, BlueHDi and THP
PureTech, BlueHDi and THP: which Peugeot engines have known problems, which years, what Stellantis offers and how to check your car by registration.
Automatic gearboxes
- Automatic gearbox problems: how to recognise the five warning signs
Is your automatic jerking, slipping or whining? Learn the five signs of automatic gearbox trouble, what you can check yourself and when a flush helps. - Automatic gearbox jerking when pulling away or shifting: causes and solutions
Is your automatic jerking or stuttering when pulling away or shifting? Read the six causes, whether you can keep driving and when a flush helps. - Fiat 500 automatic (Dualogic): maintenance and common problems
Is your Fiat 500 automatic jerking or slipping? Learn how the Dualogic works, the usual causes, the maintenance it needs and why a flush won’t help. - When should you have your automatic gearbox flushed?
When does your automatic gearbox need a flush? Intervals by gearbox type, signs of old fluid and what ZF and the motoring press advise, from our workshop. - Automatic gearbox fluid change or flush: what is the difference?
Automatic gearbox fluid change or flush? Learn the difference, when a fluid change is enough and when a flush suits better. With advice per gearbox type. - Problems after an automatic gearbox flush?
Is your automatic gearbox shifting worse after a flush? Learn what is normal, the six causes, what to do yourself and how the mechanic finds the cause. - How does an automatic gearbox work? The different types explained
Torque converter, DSG, CVT or robotised manual: how each type of automatic works, how to tell which one you have and the maintenance it needs. - Automatic gearbox in limp mode or showing a fault: what does it mean and what should you do?
Is your automatic gearbox in limp mode or showing a fault? What it means, whether you can drive on, what to do yourself and how a garage finds the cause. - Automatic gearbox slipping when pulling away: causes and what to do now
Do the revs rise while your automatic does not accelerate? When that is normal, what the cause can be, whether you can drive on and when a flush helps. - Automatic gearbox shifting roughly or jerking when cold: normal or not?
Does your automatic shift hard or jerk when the engine is cold? Find out when that is normal, when it is not, and what cold, low or old fluid can do. - Which automatic transmission fluid (ATF) does your car need? Specifications explained
ATF, CVT fluid and DSG oil are not the same. Find out which specification your automatic needs, where to find it and why universal fluid is a risk. - Flushing an automatic gearbox or changing the fluid yourself: can you?
Can you flush an automatic gearbox or change its fluid yourself? What is involved, why the fluid level is tricky and what you can safely do yourself. - Is automatic gearbox fluid really sealed for life?
Sealed for life does not mean automatic gearbox fluid lasts forever. What ZF, the motoring press and your service schedule say, explained by gearbox type. - DSG gearbox problems: what is wrong with your gearbox?
Does your DSG jerk when pulling away or shift slowly? How to spot problems with the dry DQ200 and wet DQ250 and DQ381, and what maintenance can solve. - EAT8 automatic: recognising complaints and looking after the gearbox
Is the EAT8 automatic in your Peugeot, Citroën, DS or Opel jerking? What is normal, which complaints need attention and what maintenance the gearbox needs. - Mercedes 7G-Tronic: common faults, causes and servicing
Is your Mercedes with a 7G-Tronic shifting harshly or stuck in one gear? Common faults, the right fluid by build date and what the mechanic checks. - Flushing the automatic gearbox in your motorhome: Fiat Ducato 9-speed and Mercedes Sprinter
Does your motorhome have a Fiat Ducato 9-speed or a Sprinter automatic? When a flush makes sense, when it does not, and how it works up to 3,500 kg. - Ford Powershift problems: wet or dry clutch, and what helps
Does your Ford with Powershift shudder or jerk when pulling away? The dry and wet Powershift compared, and what a fluid change can and cannot fix. - How much does an automatic gearbox flush cost?
What does an automatic gearbox flush cost? The national price guide, what drives the price for each gearbox type and what to check when comparing quotes.
Car air conditioning
- Car air con not working? 7 causes and what you can check yourself
Is your car air con blowing warm air? Read the 7 causes, what you can safely check yourself, what repairs cost and when a pressure test is needed.
Questions about your car?
Call us with your number plate. You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.
Nederlands? Bekijk de kennisbank in het Nederlands.