If a car fails its MOT, it cannot be treated as roadworthy until the faults are fixed and it passes a retest. Whether it can still be driven in the meantime depends on the type of fault found and whether the existing certificate is still valid.
What a failed MOT means
Every defect found at an MOT is categorised as either dangerous, major, or minor. If your car or vehicle has a dangerous or major fault it will fail its MOT. Minor faults do not cause a fail. You can pass an MOT with minor faults, but repairs should be carried out as soon as possible.
When the car fails, the test centre hands over a formal record. If a car fails its MOT, the test centre that carried out the work will issue a VT30 Refusal of an MOT Test Certificate. This document lists the faults that caused the failure, and it is the list you will work from when arranging repairs.
Can you still drive it away?
The answer depends on the certificate you already hold. Should your vehicle fail its MOT, you may be able to take it away if your existing MOT is still valid, no dangerous defects have been recorded and it remains roadworthy. A dangerous fault changes this. If your vehicle has a dangerous fault it cannot be driven until that fault has been repaired.
Where the car has no valid certificate left, the rules are stricter. Unless it has passed its MOT, the car is considered unroadworthy and can't be driven on the road, except if it is being driven to a garage for repairs or to its next MOT appointment.
Repairs and the retest
The timing of the retest matters. If it takes longer than 10 working days to bring the car back or take the car to a different testing centre, a full MOT test will be required, and the driver will have to pay for the full MOT test again. Confirm the current retest conditions and fees with the test centre or on GOV.UK before you book, because these are set out by the official service rather than by this article.
A practical step is to ask the test centre, at the point of failure, whether it can carry out the repairs and the retest itself. Keeping the car with the original centre keeps the retest within the same process, and it avoids the risk of a full retest at a different site.
Repairs also need to address the whole list, not just the item that caught your eye. If your car has any Dangerous or Major faults, then it will result in a failed MOT - and you will need to address the problem before you will be allowed behind the wheel. Advisories on the same certificate can be reviewed at the same visit, since testers can also record advisories for issues that should be monitored or may need repairing in the future.
If you are looking for a workshop to do the work, you can compare MOT, repairs and servicing providers before you book.
Appealing a failed result
If you believe the fail was wrong, you can challenge it. You can appeal the results of an MOT with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if either: your vehicle failed the MOT , or it passed but you think it should have failed. The timing is tight. Fill in the complaint form and send it to DVSA within 14 working days of the test.
Do not start repairs while the appeal is open. You should not have any repairs made until the appeal process has finished. You should also discuss the result with the centre first, since you need to discuss your test results with the test centre before anyone starts repairs.
Checklist after a failed MOT
- Read the VT30 and note which defects are dangerous, which are major and which are minor.
- Check whether the existing certificate is still valid and whether any dangerous defect is listed before you move the car.
- Check the MOT history for the vehicle. The quickest and simplest way to do this is to use the Government's MOT History Tool. You can check the past results of a vehicle's MOT tests, including: if it passed or failed, the mileage recorded when it was tested , and when the next MOT is due.
- Diarise the 10 working day window from the date of the test, and book the retest with the same centre if you can.
- Do not carry out repairs if you intend to appeal.
