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What to do if your car fails its MOT

You can drive away only if the previous MOT is still valid and no dangerous defect was recorded. A dangerous defect means the vehicle must not be driven until it is repaired.

Last checked

Can you drive it away?

If the old certificate has not yet expired and the failure was not a dangerous defect, you may drive the vehicle away. If the certificate has expired, you may only drive to a pre-booked repair or retest.

A dangerous defect stops the vehicle entirely. Driving it is an offence regardless of whether the old certificate is still in date.

Retests

Leave the vehicle at the test centre for repair and a partial retest within ten working days is usually free. Take it away and return within ten working days and a partial retest fee may apply. After that it is a full test again.

Repairs elsewhere

You are not obliged to have the repairs done at the test centre. Getting a second quote is reasonable, particularly for larger jobs, as long as you stay inside the retest window.

Check your own vehicle

See the MOT expiry date and full test history for any UK registration.

For example, CU57ABC or ABC1234

Results open in a new tab on the official GOV.UK MOT history service, which is available to UK visitors. Our own results page, with mileage checks and repeat advisories, follows once DVSA approve our data access.

Sources

Related guides

  • MOT advisories explained

    What dangerous, major, minor and advisory actually mean on an MOT certificate, and which ones you have to act on.

  • How much does an MOT cost?

    The maximum a garage may charge, what the retest costs, and why most places charge less than the cap.