An MOT fail feels like a bill landing all at once. Usually it is a list of jobs you can price, compare and plan. This guide explains what the result means, when you can drive the car, and how the retest rules can save you money. The rules here come from the GOV.UK MOT guide (opens in a new tab).

Read the failure sheet properly

The MOT result sorts problems into groups.

  • Dangerous. The car must not be driven until it is repaired.
  • Major. The car fails and needs repairing.
  • Minor. The car can pass, but the problem should be fixed soon.
  • Advisories. Things to keep an eye on. They are not failures, but they often become one at the next test.

Take a photo of the sheet. You can also see the result, the defects and the recorded mileage on the free MOT history checker (opens in a new tab) using the registration.

Can I drive it away?

GOV.UK says you can take your car away if your current MOT certificate is still valid and no dangerous problems were listed.

If the old MOT has run out, you can only drive the car to have the failed defects fixed, or to a pre-arranged MOT test. In every case, the car must still be roadworthy. You can be fined if it is not.

If a dangerous problem was listed, do not drive it. Arrange for the repair to happen where the car is, or have it moved.

The retest rules can save money

This part catches people out. The GOV.UK rules are:

  • Leave it at the test centre for repair. If the test centre repairs it and retests within 10 working days, you only need a partial retest, and there is no fee for it.
  • Take it away and bring it back the next working day. For certain items you will not have to pay again, if you return to the same test centre before the end of the next working day. The list includes things like lamps, mirrors, wipers and washers, seats, seatbelts, horn, registration plates, and wheels and tyres.
  • Take it away and bring it back within 10 working days. You only need a partial retest at the same test centre, but you can be charged a partial retest fee.

In all other cases, it is a full retest at the full fee. The maximum official fee for a car MOT is £54.85, and many test centres charge less.

So before you take the car somewhere else for a cheaper repair, work out whether you lose a free retest by doing it.

Compare repair prices without guessing

You do not have to get repairs done at the test centre. If the car is safe and legal to drive, you can get other prices. Our directory lists garages that do repairs around Glasgow by area. They come from public data and are not our partners, so check them yourself before you book.

To compare properly, give each garage the same information:

  • Make, model, engine and year.
  • The exact failure items and advisories from the sheet.
  • Whether you want new or used parts, where that is safe.

Ask each garage for parts and labour separately. Ask whether the price includes the retest. Some quotes look low until the retest, the part or the VAT is added.

For brakes, steering, suspension and tyres, a cheaper part is fine only if it is a proper replacement of the right specification. Safety parts are not where to cut corners.

Common fails that are cheaper than they sound

Many fails are small jobs: bulbs and number plate lights, wiper blades and washer jets, tyres below the legal tread depth, and faded or wrong-style number plates. Checking these the week before an MOT can avoid a fail altogether.

Advisories: plan, do not panic

Advisories such as "corrosion on brake pipes" or "tyre close to the legal limit" are warnings. Price them now, then decide when to do them. Leaving them until the next MOT often means paying for a fail and a retest as well.

If you are thinking of replacing the car

Sometimes the repair bill is more than the car is worth to you. Before you decide, get a proper price for the repairs. Then compare that with the real monthly cost of a replacement, using the running cost calculator. If you want to sell the car as it is, you can tell us about it. We buy some cars, but not every car.

Send us the sheet

If you would like help pricing the work, send us the failure list, or read more on our MOT failed page. Include the first half of your postcode. We look for the parts and suggest suitable local garages, so you can compare before you pay. Asking is free and there is no obligation.

Common questions

Can I drive my car after it fails its MOT?

Only if the old certificate is still valid and no dangerous problems were listed. See "Can I drive it away?" above.

What if I think the fail is wrong?

Talk to the test centre before anyone does any repairs. You can appeal to the DVSA within 14 working days of the test.