How much is an MOT?
MOTs are a legal requirement in the UK, but how much will one cost you? Find out here.
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If you’ve got questions about how much a car MOT is, you might be new to car ownership or just want to make sure the garage isn’t ripping you off. Either way, we’re here to help.
Car MOT costs are an important thing to factor into car ownership because you have to get one every year your car’s on the road (once it’s three years old).
We explain car MOT costs in our guide below, as well as factors like the cost of MOT repairs and retesting.
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How much does an MOT cost?
The price of an MOT will depend on where you’re booking in, but the UK government has set the maximum price at £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle.
That doesn’t mean all tests cost this much. If you live in area where living costs are lower, you might find garages charge less for an MOT.
We’d recommend putting the maximum £54.85 fee into your budget and any discount will be a nice surprise.
What is an MOT?
An MOT is a yearly vehicle safety check that every car over three years old needs to pass to drive on UK roads.
Without a valid MOT, you could face a fine for driving your car on public roads.
A car MOT checks safety and environmental standards, including things like:
Lights
Brakes
Steering
Suspension
Tyres
Exhaust emissions
Seatbelts
If the areas tested don’t meet the minimum requirements, your car could fail its MOT. The issues would need to be fixed before you can retest and get your car back on the road.
An MOT does not test:
Engine
Clutch
Gearbox
Mechanical condition
Since an MOT is about making sure your car is safe, it doesn’t include checks on mechanical components.
To keep your car running smoothly, you’re best off booking in a service each year – many people do this alongside their MOT to save an extra trip to the garage.
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What are the costs if I fail my MOT?
If you fail your MOT, you’ll be given a report of the issues that caused the failure. In this case, you’ll need to arrange for the work to be carried out to fix your car, and then get it retested.
You’ll also need to pay for a retest after the repairs have been carried out, so that’s up to another £54.85 for car tests.
Some garages offer a ‘no payment until you pass’ scheme – which means you’ll get your first MOT free if you fail and don’t need to pay until you pass.
Others will retest your car for less than a full MOT cost, so there are a couple of ways to potentially save on MOT retests, depending on the garage you choose.
The other costs here come from the actual car repairs. This can vary depending on what issues your car has, but common fixes include new brakes, new tyres, and suspension fixes (thanks, UK potholes...).
Sorting out MOT failures
Often, the garage you got your MOT done at should be able to do the repairs as well.
If your car fails its MOT and you want to take it elsewhere for repairs, you can drive straight there, as long as your car didn’t have any ‘dangerous’ faults.
You’re also allowed to drive to the MOT centre for the test appointment itself, which includes going back for a retest. In case you’re wondering, you will have to pay for the repairs and this isn’t something that’s included with your MOT.
Retesting
Once your car is all patched up, you can have it retested.
We mentioned earlier that this can sometimes be free or discounted, but check this beforehand just to make sure.
At this point, your car should pass its MOT and you’ll be legally able to drive on UK roads for another year.
Does a failed MOT affect my car’s value?
Failed MOTs only tend to impact a car’s value if you’re trying to sell it without an MOT.
You’ll usually find it very hard to sell a car without a valid MOT. If you plan to do this, you’ll likely have to sell it under market value.
At this point, and depending on how much work the car needs, it’s typically best to get the repairs done and MOT your car.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that a long list of MOT failures doesn’t automatically devalue your car. The work had to be done to get it to pass the retest and any advisories will be shown in the report, so there shouldn’t be any question marks.