Failed Your MOT? Your Complete Guide to Next Steps

That sinking feeling when the mechanic tells you your car has failed its MOT is all too familiar for many drivers. But before you panic or write a blank cheque for repairs, it's worth understanding your options. This guide will help you decide whether to repair, appeal, or consider scrapping your vehicle.

Understanding MOT Failure Categories

Since 2018, MOT results are categorised into four types:

Dangerous: The vehicle poses an immediate risk and cannot be driven until fixed. Driving a vehicle with a dangerous defect is illegal.
Major: The vehicle fails its MOT. It may be driven (if the previous MOT is still valid) but must be repaired.
Minor: The vehicle passes but has defects that should be repaired soon.
Advisory: Items that could become problems in future but don't affect the current MOT.

Most Common MOT Failures

According to DVSA statistics, these are the most frequent reasons for MOT failure:

Lighting and signalling (18%): Blown bulbs, cracked lenses, incorrect aim
Suspension (13%): Worn shock absorbers, damaged springs, corroded components
Brakes (10%): Worn pads/discs, seized calipers, corroded brake lines
Tyres (8%): Below minimum tread depth, damage, incorrect size
Driver's view (8%): Cracked windscreen, faulty wipers, damaged mirrors
Steering (5%): Worn joints, excessive play, damaged components
Emissions (5%): Excessive exhaust emissions, catalytic converter failure

The Repair vs Scrap Decision

Here's a straightforward way to decide whether repairs make financial sense:

Consider scrapping if:

Repair costs exceed 50% of the vehicle's value
Multiple major failures suggest more problems to come
Structural corrosion is present (often uneconomical to repair)
The vehicle has already needed significant repairs recently
You'd need to borrow money to pay for repairs

Consider repairing if:

Failures are minor and isolated (e.g., just bulbs or wipers)
The vehicle is otherwise in good condition
Repair costs are well below the vehicle's value
You know the vehicle's history and it's been reliable

Can You Drive a Car That Failed Its MOT?

This depends on the circumstances:

Dangerous defects: It's illegal to drive the vehicle on public roads until repaired.
Major defects with valid previous MOT: You can drive until your previous MOT expires, but technically shouldn't.
Previous MOT expired: You can only drive to a pre-booked MOT test or to a garage for repairs.

Important: Your insurance may be invalidated if you drive a vehicle you know to be unroadworthy, even if technically legal.

Getting a Second Opinion

If you're unsure about the failure or quoted repair costs seem high, you have options:

Request a free retest within 10 working days at the same garage
Appeal to DVSA if you believe the test was conducted incorrectly
Get quotes from other garages for the repair work
Ask an independent mechanic to inspect the vehicle

Why Free Collection Matters for MOT Failures

If your vehicle has dangerous defects, you legally cannot drive it. This is where our free collection service becomes invaluable. Ben Whitcombe Ltd will come to your location, home, workplace, or the garage where it failed, and collect your vehicle without you needing to arrange recovery or risk driving illegally.

What Your Failed MOT Vehicle Is Worth

Even vehicles that fail their MOT have value:

Scrap metal value: Based on current metal prices and vehicle weight
Salvageable parts: Working components can be worth more than scrap weight
Catalytic converter: Contains precious metals with significant value

We assess each vehicle properly and pay a fair price based on its actual value, not just its MOT status.

The Scrapping Process

Get a quote: Call us on 01934 824976 or use our online form. Tell us about your vehicle and the MOT failures.
Book free collection: We'll arrange a time that suits you, 7 days a week, 8am-8pm.
We collect and pay: Our team arrives, verifies the vehicle, and pays you on the spot.
We handle the paperwork: DVLA notification, Certificate of Destruction, all sorted.

Failed your MOT and decided repairs aren't worth it? Get a free quote for your MOT failure, we'll collect from anywhere in Somerset.