Can I Drive My Car if It Fails an Early MOT Test?

Assuming your car is older than three years, you need to take it to a garage once per year for an MOT test. This is the annual test that verifies your car meets the government's minimum safety and environmental standards.

While your MOT certificate is valid for a whole year, you can get the test done up to a month (minus a day) before its expiry and still keep the same renewal date.

Failing an MOT test is frustrating and inconvenient, especially if you rely on your car for daily transportation.

If you fail the MOT early, you may or may not be able to continue driving your vehicle until your current certificate expires. It all depends on the severity of the failure and whether it poses a risk to you or other road users.

What happens if my car fails its MOT before the due date?

When your car fails its MOT before the due date, here's what to expect and the steps you should take going forward:

1. Understanding your failure

When your car fails its MOT, the test result will indicate whether the issues are classified as 'dangerous' or 'major'. 'Minor' defects will not cause an MOT failure.

Whether you can drive after the MOT test depends on whether you have major or dangerous defects.

• Major defects affect the safety, emissions, or roadworthiness of your car. You can still drive the car, but repairs are a requirement for passing the test in the future.
• Dangerous faults mean the car is not safe to drive at all because they pose an immediate threat to you and other drivers. You cannot drive the vehicle until it's repaired and passes a retest, no matter what.

An example of a major defect would be a faulty shock absorber, exhaust emissions exceeding the legal limits, or windscreen wipers/washers not working properly.

A dangerous defect might be severely worn brake pads or discs, tyres with tread depth below the legal limit, or faulty/non-functional headlights, brake lights, or indicators.

2. Driving with a valid MOT

If your current MOT certificate is still valid, you can continue to drive your car until the expiry date, provided the faults are not classified as dangerous.

This is one of the main advantages of scheduling an early MOT, if you need to fix something, you can take it to the garage of your choice, on your own time.

If your test reveals dangerous faults, you are not legally allowed to drive the car, even if your current MOT is still valid.

3. Getting your repairs sorted

Even if you can legally drive, you should arrange to have the necessary repairs done as soon as possible. Failing the MOT test means your car is no longer roadworthy. Not to mention, a failure indicates a problem that will only get worse with time.

If you only have major faults, you can either take your car to a separate garage for repairs or have it done at the MOT test centre.

Since you cannot legally drive a vehicle with dangerous defects, your only option is to have the MOT garage handle the repairs (unless you want to deal with the hassle and expense of having it towed).

4. MOT retesting

MOT retesting can work in a couple of different ways, depending on whether you got the initial test and the repairs done at the same garage, and how long you choose to drive the car before retesting.

Repairing and retesting at the same garage

If you choose to have your repairs done by the MOT garage, they will typically offer a free partial retest within 10 working days.

As long as you bring the car back within that timeframe, you shouldn't have to pay for another test. And you shouldn't have to go through the whole process again, just the points of failure.

Repairing at a different garage

If you get the repairs done at a garage different from the one that performed the MOT test, you might have to pay for a retest at the original centre.

• If you return within one working day and the faults are minor, the retest might be free.
• If you return within 10 working days, you can still get a partial retest. But the garage will probably charge you up to 50% of the original fee.

This, of course, depends on the MOT garage's policy. But these are the general guidelines that most follow.

Retesting at a different garage

If you don't choose the original MOT garage for your repairs, you will have to pay for the whole thing all over again (which is up to up to £54.85). The new garage will have no way of verifying the previous test results, so they must perform a new one.

Note: You won't qualify for a partial retest if you have several different failure points that impact different systems in the car, especially if those defects are classified as dangerous.

How long can I legally drive my car after it fails an early MOT?

If you took an early MOT and failed, you can legally drive your car up to the expiry date of your current certificate, as long as you are not dealing with dangerous defects. In that case, you have to get repairs and pass a retest before driving again.

For example, if you got your test done on 1 March and your expiry date is 14 March, you have two weeks to get the repairs and retest done before you run into trouble with the law for driving the vehicle.

Legal risks and penalties when driving after a failed MOT

Early or not, the fact of the matter is you failed your MOT test. You're driving a vehicle that the authorities have deemed unsafe for yourself and others. That can land you in hot water; there are legal risks that come with driving after an MOT failure.

• The punishment for driving without an MOT certificate is up to £1000 and three penalty points on your licence.
• Driving a car with dangerous faults can result in a fine of up to £2,500, three penalty points on your licence, and even a driving ban.
• Authorities have the power to seize vehicles that are deemed unroadworthy due to dangerous defects.

The exception to the rule: You are allowed to drive your car to a garage for repairs or to a pre-booked MOT test, so long as the faults were not classified as dangerous at your last test.

How a failed MOT affects your car insurance

Driving a car that has failed its MOT may also affect your insurance. If you are involved in an accident, your insurance may not cover you if the car was deemed unsafe.

Here's what you need to know:

• If your car fails its MOT, your insurance may no longer cover you, even if your current MOT certificate is still valid. Driving a car that has failed its MOT might be considered a breach of your insurance policy terms.
• If it fails with dangerous defects, your insurance policy is automatically void from that point forward.
• In the event of an accident, if your car has failed its MOT, your insurance provider will probably reject a claim you file on the grounds that you knew the vehicle was unroadworthy.
• Beyond this, driving without valid insurance is illegal. So driving with a voided policy results in fines, points on your licence and possibly even a driving ban.

The above mentioned exception applies here, too, though. If you're in an accident but you're on the way to or from a garage for repairs or retesting, your insurance policy should still cover you.

What to do immediately after failing an MOT test

Even if you don't have dangerous defects, the smart and safe thing to do, regardless of whether your current MOT certificate has expired or not, is to take care of those repairs as soon as possible. Failing means your car has a serious problem that is affecting its safety and roadworthiness.

It's also a good idea to get the repairs done at the same garage. Since you're already there, they can get straight to work on your car. And since they've already done the first test, the subsequent partial one will be much faster (not to mention, free).

Since you have time, though, you can multiple quotes to find the best price for your repairs. You can get the repairs done at a different garage if you find a better deal.

Planning to scrap your car? There’s no need to retest it — we’ll buy your MOT failure and pick it up for free, same day or next day.

Is it safe to drive my car to a repair shop after a failed MOT?

If your car has failed its MOT due to dangerous faults, it is definitely not safe to drive. These faults pose an immediate risk to road safety, and driving the car could lead to severe accidents or further damage.

Major defects don't necessarily guarantee your car is safe to drive, though. They just don't legally prohibit you from doing so.

If your car has major defects, ask the MOT test centre for advice before leaving.

Do I need to notify anyone if my car fails its MOT early?

If your car fails its MOT early, you generally do not need to notify any specific authorities. All you have to do is:

• Review the MOT test report to understand the reasons for the failure.
• Determine whether driving the car off after the failure is legally permissible.
• Arrange for the necessary repairs.

If you believe the MOT failure was unjustified, however, you can appeal the result by submitting a VT17 form to the DVSA. This must be done within 14 days of the test.

Documents needed for your MOT test

Since everything is digitised these days, you don't need to bring much on the day of the test. Just your car and the following items:

• V5C logbook (if it's your first MOT or if the vehicle's details have changed)
• Appointment confirmation
• Driving licence
• Payment method

The garage will have all other necessary documentation on file, including previous MOT certificates and test results.

Final thoughts

Failing an MOT test is not the end of the world. It's actually quite common; millions of vehicles fail their initial MOT test every year.

The key is to address the issues and get your car roadworthy as soon as possible. Driving without a valid certificate will lead to legal troubles, so it's not worth waiting.

Remember that driving a car with defects also poses risks for insurance coverage in case of accidents. So take care of repairs immediately, even if you have time left on your current MOT certificate. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Check your MOT status and upcoming due date now with our free MOT checker tool. And read our comprehensive MOT checklist and guide to guarantee a pass on your upcoming test.