Having your car fail its MOT can feel stressful, but it's more common than you might think — nearly 30% of cars fail first time. Here's what you need to know about what happens next.
Understand the Result
MOT failures are categorised by severity:
- Advisory — Not a failure, but something to monitor. It may become a problem before your next test.
- Minor defect — Not serious enough to fail, but should be repaired soon.
- Major defect — Your car has failed. It must be repaired before it can pass.
- Dangerous defect — A serious safety issue. You must not drive the car until it's fixed (unless driving directly to a garage for repair).
Your Options After a Failure
Option 1: Repair and Retest at the Same Garage
If the car is repaired and retested at the same testing station within 10 working days, the retest is free for most failure types. This is usually the simplest and cheapest option.
Option 2: Take It Elsewhere
You're not obliged to have repairs done at the testing station. You can take it to your preferred mechanic and then return for a partial retest. However, if it's a dangerous defect, you can only drive to a pre-booked repair or test appointment.
Option 3: Appeal
If you believe the result is wrong, you can appeal to the DVSA. For mechanical failures, you must appeal within 28 days. For corrosion-related failures, you have up to three months. The DVSA will arrange an independent inspection.
Can I Still Drive?
- Major defect with existing valid MOT — Yes, until your current MOT expires.
- Major defect with expired MOT — Only to a pre-booked MOT test or repair appointment.
- Dangerous defect — No. The car must not be driven on public roads until repaired.
Learn From Your MOT History
Use MOTChecker to review your car's full MOT history, including all past advisories. Advisories from previous tests often become the failures at the next one, so keeping on top of them is the best way to avoid a fail.