An MOT test ensures that your vehicle meets the environmental and road safety standards that are required by law in the UK. It’s important to understand what is checked during an MOT, so you can take the necessary steps to help your car pass its MOT. So, what is checked on an MOT test?
During an MOT, the tester will check:
Lights, reflectors and electrical equipment
Steering and suspension systems
Brakes
Tyres and wheels
Seats and seatbelts
Body and structure of the car
Exhaust and emissions
Driver’s view of the road
Keep reading for a more detailed explanation of what is checked during an MOT and the most common reasons for failure.
An MOT test is an annual check to ensure that your car meets road safety requirements and environmental standards. Below we’ve included the main components that are checked as part of the MOT test:
Body and vehicle structure. They will be inspected to ensure they’re free from excessive corrosion or damage.
Towbars. They are inspected to ensure they’re secure and in good condition.
Fuel system. This will be inspected to ensure that there are no leaks, the pipes and hoses are secure, and the fuel cap fastens securely.
Exhaust system and emissions. The exhaust system is inspected to ensure that it’s in good working order and the emissions will be checked.
Seats and seat belts. The tester will inspect the seats and seat belts to ensure they are in good condition and all mandatory seat belts are in place.
Doors. These are inspected to ensure that the hinges and catches are secure and working as they should be.
Mirrors. The technician will check that there are adequate mirrors for the vehicle and that they are in good condition.
Horn. This is inspected to ensure that it works properly and is loud enough to be heard by other road users.
Battery. The battery should be secure and not show any signs of leakage.
Electrical wiring. This should be secure and undamaged.
Steering. The steering wheel needs to be secure and in good condition and vehicles with power steering must have the minimum level of power steering fluid in the reservoir.
Suspension. All suspension components and shock absorbers must be checked for excessive wear or corrosion.
Brakes. Relevant warning lights must work and brakes, pedals and levers need to be in good condition. Their operation and performance will also be tested.
Tyres. Wheels and tyres will be inspected and their condition and tyre tread depth checked. However, spare wheels and tyres are not inspected.
Lights. All lights must be correctly positioned and working, including the vehicle's front, rear, brake, indicator, fog and registration plate lights.
Registration plates. These must be secure and legible to someone standing 20 metres from the car.
Wipers and washers. Wipers and washers must sweep a wide enough area to ensure the driver has an adequate view.
Windscreen. There must be no damage or obstruction directly in front of the driver which is larger than 10mm and outside this area, there must be no damage or obstruction larger than 40 mm.
Bonnet. This will be inspected to ensure it closes securely.
Vehicle identification number (VIN). Your car will be inspected to ensure that a single VIN is displayed (except for multistage build vehicles).
It’s important to remember that an MOT is not the same as a service and doesn’t check the overall condition of the car or its engine, clutch or gearbox. It’s always recommended to book your car in for an annual service, as well as the legally required MOT. Finding a reputable local garage to carry out your service and MOT is easy with the Approved Garages network.
An MOT test usually takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to complete. Depending on the garage, you may be able to wait while the mechanic tests your car. However, some garages will require you to drop your car off in the morning and collect it in the evening.
If your car fails its MOT and needs repairs, the repairs and retest will take longer. You might need to leave your car at the garage for several days if extensive repairs are required.
A car can fail an MOT for a wide range of reasons and it’s fairly common. In fact, around 27.73% of all cars fail their first MOT attempt (according to DVSA data for July to September 2024).
According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the most common reasons for MOT failure and some steps you can take to avoid them are:
Lighting and signalling. Failures can be caused by faulty brake lights, headlights, indicators and registration plate lights. 25.05% of all faults from July to September 2024 were caused by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.
Before your MOT test, have a friend check that all your lights are working properly as you operate them.
Tyre condition. The tread depth being below the legal limit of 1.6 mm is one of the most common reasons for failure. This accounted for 12.92% of all faults from July to September 2024.
You can use a 20p coin to check the tread depth around the full width of the tyre - if the outer band of the coin is visible, your tyres could be under the legal limit.
Suspension. Suspension joints, springs and shock absorbers wear down over time and these can lead to an MOT failure. This accounted for 19.43% of faults from July to September 2024.
Unfortunately, there is no easy way to check your car’s suspension ahead of your MOT test. We always recommend booking your car for a service before your MOT, so any suspension issues are highlighted.
Brakes. Worn brake pads and discs can cause your car to fail its MOT.
If your brake pedals feel spongy or the car pulls to the left or the right while braking, this is a sign your brake pads could need to be replaced. This accounted for 16.19% of faults from July to September 2024.
Windscreen. Cracked or damaged windscreens, worn wiper blades or insufficient mirrors can all reduce the driver’s ability to see the road and result in a failure.
Make sure you fill up your windscreen washer reservoir before the test and check your wipers are working properly. If you have any cracks or chips in the windshield that obscure your view of the road, these should be filled before your MOT.
Emissions. Excessive emissions or other issues with your exhaust system can cause problems when it comes to your MOT.
If you’re concerned about your car’s emissions, you can purchase ‘Pre-Emission Test’ treatments that are designed to reduce harmful emissions and smoke.
Steering. Loose steering or insufficient power steering fluid can result in an MOT failure. This was responsible for 3.48% of faults from July to September 2024.
Check your power steering fluid is above the minimum level in the reservoir. You can also observe your steering wheel for excessive play, looseness or unusual sounds and check that it returns smoothly to the centre position.
Seat belts and airbags. Any issues with these safety features will likely lead to your car failing its MOT. Seatbelts were the cause of 1.55% of faults from July to September 2024.
Fix any knotted or twisted seatbelts ahead of your test and ensure your airbag warning light is not on.
If your car fails its MOT, you’ll receive a VT30 Refusal of an MOT Test Certificate. This certificate will explain the reason or reasons why your car has failed its MOT. A VT30 means that your car is not safe to drive and needs to be repaired before it’s driven again.
Yes, if you think the MOT result is wrong you can request an appeal. You should speak to the test centre about why your car has failed before you submit your appeal request.
You will need to complete the complaint form and send it to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) within 14 working days of the test. The DVSA should contact you within 5 days to discuss your appeal. If the DVSA decides to recheck your vehicle, you’ll need to arrange a test date and pay the full fee again. The DVSA will send you an inspection report listing all the vehicle’s defects.
If your appeal is successful, you’ll be refunded the test fee.
Whether or not you can drive your car after it’s failed its MOT depends on whether there are any ‘dangerous’ faults and if the old MOT certificate is in date:
If there are no dangerous faults and the old MOT certificate is in date, you can drive your car home. You can continue to drive your car until your old MOT expires, but it’s generally recommended to get it repaired and retested as soon as possible.
If there are no dangerous faults, but your old MOT certificate is due to expire the same day you fail your new MOT, you can only drive your vehicle under specific circumstances. You can only drive your car to a test station for a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage to have the faults repaired.
If there are dangerous faults, this immediately invalidates your old MOT certificate and you cannot legally drive your car home or anywhere else. If you drive your vehicle with dangerous faults, you could be fined up to £2,500 and receive three penalty points on your licence.
Because there’s a chance you might not be able to drive your car away if it fails its MOT, it’s best to choose a reputable garage that you trust to handle both your MOT and any repairs that are required. The Approved Garages network makes it simple to find a trusted independent garage near you to expertly handle your MOT.
At Approved Garages, it’s easy to find a professional local garage and book your MOT in just a couple of clicks. All you need to do is enter your registration number and location, then select MOT to book your appointment!
All of the garages in our network have years of experience carrying out MOTs on a wide range of makes and models and always use Original Equipment Matching Quality parts in their repairs. You can relax knowing that any repairs needed will be handled swiftly by our experienced mechanics and for a highly competitive price!
Get started by searching for trusted local garages near you and book your MOT today.
The term MOT stands for the Ministry of Transport which was the government department which introduced the test back in 1960. Although the test still exists today, the Ministry of Transport no longer does.
No, you cannot drive without a valid MOT in the UK. You can be fined up to £1,000 and prosecuted for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT. You also cannot park a vehicle on the road without an MOT certificate.
However, you can drive your car to a pre-booked MOT appointment or to have the failed defects fixed even if the MOT has expired. The vehicle needs to be roadworthy otherwise you can still be fined.
The maximum cost for a car MOT in the UK is £54.85 which is set by the government. Some garages may charge slightly less than this based on deals and their location.
In some instances, you can have a partial retest completed for free:
If you leave your vehicle at the garage that completed the MOT for repairs, you won’t need to pay for a retest provided it’s retested within 10 working days.
If you take your vehicle back to the same garage that completed the MOT before the end of the next working day, you will not have to pay for a partial retest if it failed on specific components.
If you take the vehicle back to the same garage for repairs within 10 working days, you will only need to pay for a partial retest. In all other cases, such as if you take your car to a different garage for repairs and a retest, you will have to pay the full MOT test fee again.
It’s easy to find out when your MOT test is due using the Gov.uk service. Simply input your vehicle’s registration number to see when your MOT and road tax expires. You can also sign up to get a free email or text reminder one month before your MOT is due.
You can get an MOT up to one month (minus one day) before your current MOT certificate expires. This allows you to keep the same renewal date.
You can get an MOT completed earlier, but the renewal date will change to one year (minus a day) from the date the vehicle passed its MOT.
Yes, a failed MOT stays on record in the MOT database. Anyone can check the past results of a vehicle’s MOT tests provided they know the registration number.
