Can I drive my car if it fails its MOT?
Get the details on car MOT failures and your next steps
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By Tia Harrison-North
Last updated: 24 April 2025
If you just got the bad news, you might be wondering: ‘can I drive my car if it fails its MOT?’.
An MOT is a legal requirement in the UK for cars to be allowed to drive on the roads, and driving without one can lead to fines and penalty points on your licence.
You’ll need to get your car MOT’d every 12 months, after the first three years of a car’s life.
But what happens if your car fails its MOT, and can you still drive it?
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So, can I drive my car if it fails its MOT test?
If your car has failed its MOT, it's not a black and white answer as to whether you can drive it.
The main thing to remember is that there’s a difference between a failed MOT and an expired MOT certificate.
There are a few scenarios for a failed car MOT and whether or not it’s legal to drive:
Your car has failed its MOT before the current MOT certificate runs out
Yes – you can still drive your car if it has failed its MOT but still has a valid MOT certificate.
If you were thinking ahead and had your MOT done early, your current MOT certificate will still be in date.
You can keep driving your car until the certificate expires, when you’re then only allowed to drive the car to an MOT appointment.
If your car has failed and needs work carrying out, it’s best to get it fixed as soon as possible and avoid making too many trips.
Your car still has its current MOT certificate, but has failed its MOT with a dangerous fault
No – you can’t drive a car with an MOT certificate if your early MOT has highlighted a dangerous fault.
If your car has failed because of a dangerous fault, then it’ll be unsafe to drive, and you can’t legally take trips in it.
You could be fined up to £2,500 if you’re found to be driving a car that’s in a dangerous condition.
Your car MOT has expired but you’re driving it to a booked MOT appointment
Yes – you can drive a car to its MOT appointment even if the current MOT certificate has expired.
You can only drive to the appointment and shouldn’t drive it anywhere else if you want to avoid a fine or points on your licence.
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Can I drive my car if it fails its MOT before due date?
As long as you’re current MOT certificate is valid and in date, you can drive your car if it has failed its MOT test.
Once the MOT certificate has expired, you can legally only drive your car to its MOT test.
Can I drive my car without an MOT certificate?
The only time you can drive your car without an MOT certificate is if you’re driving to an MOT appointment.
You’re not able to legally drive a car without an MOT for any other reason. You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT.
Can I drive my car home if it fails MOT?
If your MOT is still in date and you got your car tested early, you can drive it home as long as it doesn’t have a dangerous fault.
Dangerous MOT faults include:
Braking system defects like loose or cracked brake discs
Structural integrity problems such as a fractured wheel
Hazards that block your visibility – so large windscreen cracks over 10mm on the driver’s side or 40mm elsewhere
What happens if I fail my MOT?
It’s not the end of the world if you fail your MOT, but it is annoying.
The next steps after an MOT failure should be:
Book your car in to have the faults fixed – you'll need to have your car towed to a garage if it’s too dangerous to drive
Once fixed, book your car to be re-tested
You should now have a valid MOT certificate and can legally drive on UK roads
Car servicing at cinch
A car service is a great way to keep up on maintenance between MOTs and can find faults before they develop into something bigger. This can mean fewer major issues or dangerous faults in your MOT results.
You can book car servicing at one of our cinch stores to keep your car maintained between your annual MOT.
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Read more about MOTs: