The annual MOT for any vehicle older than three years helps to keep our roads (and you) safer. But it can be stressful, especially if you rely on your car for work or to get the kids to school. We explain what happens next if your car has failed its MOT and how MOT fail insurance could buy you peace of mind in the future.

My car failed its MOT. What next?

The first thing is: don’t panic. Take a look at your test certificate to see if your car failed with a ‘dangerous’ problem or a ‘major’ problem. This will determine if you can still drive the vehicle and impact on what you do next. Remember, you need to keep hold of your test certificate for the next steps.

If your car failed the MOT with a dangerous problem:

If your car failed with a dangerous problem you cannot drive it away. You’ll need to have the problem fixed at the test garage. Alternatively, you could decide to have the car towed to a different garage.

• Get a quote for the repair work to be carried out at the test garage.
• Get quotes from a couple of other garages too. You could find that the cost of having the work done elsewhere is lower, even with towing fees included.

You’ll need to carefully weigh up whether the cost of getting the car repaired is worth it, and if you can afford it. Another option is to scrap the car. But that will leave you without wheels unless you can afford to buy a new one.

My current MOT doesn’t run out for a few more days. Can I still drive my car?

No. If you are given an MOT test certificate fail for a dangerous problem, you cannot drive your vehicle. This is the case even if the previous MOT certificate still has some days left to run.

For example:

Your current MOT certificate runs out on 10 November. You have an MOT test on 30 October and get a ‘dangerous’ fail. You cannot continue to use the vehicle as it is until 10 November. The problem must be fixed and you must get a retest pass before you can drive your car again.

What happens if I drive a car that has failed with a dangerous problem?

It’s not worth driving a car that has failed an MOT with a dangerous problem.

As well as putting yourself and other road users in danger, you could be fined £2,500, get three penalty points, or be banned from driving.

Getting a retest free

If your car is retested at the same garage as the original test was carried out within 10 working days it will be free of charge.

Before you have the retest, make sure that all the problems listed on your VT30 fail certificate have been put right.

If your car failed the MOT with a major problem:

If your car failed with a major problem and your current MOT is still valid, you can drive it away. This gives you more options for getting the fault fixed at an alternative garage if you want to.

• Get a quote for the repair work to be carried out at the test garage.
• Get quotes from a couple of other garages too. Remember, as long as your current MOT is still valid you can drive your car to another garage for the work to be carried out.

Again, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth repairing the car or if you should scrap it instead.

Do I have to get the repair work done straight away?

Yes. If your car failed the MOT with a major problem, you’ll need to get it repaired quickly. Even if your current MOT is still valid you can be prosecuted if you continue to drive the car and your car has faults that make it ‘unroadworthy.’ You’ll be breaking the law by knowingly driving with problems.

Things that make a car unroadworthy include problems with the:

• Lights.
• Tyres.
• Bodywork.
• Wheel fixings.

Get more information here.

Getting a retest free

If your car is retested at the same garage as the original test was carried out within 10 working days it will be free of charge. Before you have the retest, make sure that all the problems listed on your VT30 fail certificate have been put right.

Appealing your MOT failure

If you think that your car should have passed, speak to your test centre before having the repairs done. You can appeal against the failure if you think it was wrong. You’ll need to fill in this complaint form within 14 days of the test. You’ll have to pay for another MOT, but if it that test finds the original fail was incorrect, you should get a full or partial refund. Don’t forget, you can’t carry out any work on your car between the tests.

Taking the financial sting away

If your car, van, or motorbike fails its MOT it can be time-consuming to get back on the road again. Even worse, it could cost more than you can easily afford to pay. One way to avoid these unexpected bills is to take out MOT failure insurance. This is designed to cover the costs of the repair or replacement of certain parts if your vehicle fails its MOT. It also covers the costs of labour at VAT. It doesn’t cover everything. For example, it won’t cover worn-out brake pads as that is part of the normal wear and tear of a vehicle. But it will cover other problems, like problems with the fuel system and sensors. It means you won’t have to dig deep into your pockets to get back on the road – and that means real peace of mind.

Buy cheap MOT fail insurance

Our friendly team at Easy2Insure makes it Easy2 find the best price MOT failure insurance. All you need to do is give us a few details and we’ll do the rest. We’ll shop around on your behalf and negotiate hard to find you the cover at a low cost. Then, if your car fails its MOT you’ll know it’s nothing to worry about. To get started, simply call us on 0800 917 9522 or get in touch.