Do You Know How Much Does an MOT Cost?

The MOT test is an annual inspection conducted by certified examiners to determine whether a vehicle is roadworthy. Knowing how much it costs to put a car through an MOT on average might help you budget throughout the year, especially if your vehicle is over three years old.

The cost of an MOT test on average

The cost of an MOT test, which stands for the Ministry of Transport test – varies depending on the type of car being examined. The Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) also determines the maximum fee that cars can be charged. In 2021, the highest charge for a vehicle will be £54.85 and a regular motorcycle will be £29.65. GOV.UK has a comprehensive list.

Some MOT test centres charge a lower amount than the limit. An MOT might cost as little as £30 or as much as £25. While we frequently propose the lowest alternatives when it comes to spending your money, you should be cautious about paying so little for an MOT. Make certain you read reviews and conduct research.

If the test centre is also a service and repair shop, offering such a cheap fee is unlikely to make a profit. This implies that if your car fails the MOT, you'll likely pay more for service, repairs, and components to compensate for the lower MOT fee.

The average cost of MOT repairs

This leads us to the subject of your possible repair bill. The cost of an MOT failure repair varies depending on what went wrong.

Some of the most frequent defects are inexpensive to fix. A blown bulb should cost less than £5, and it's usually something you can do yourself in a matter of minutes.

Too low windshield wiper fluid is also a failure, but it's a simple and quick remedy.

Is your vehicle filthy? You will not be failing for that humiliating reason with half an hour of your time, some washing up, and hot water.

According to a survey, the average cost of an MOT repair bill is £272 when all of these low-cost faults are coupled with higher-priced concerns. You'll end up with a total of £326.85 if you include £54.85 for the MOT.

The average cost of an MOT retest

When it comes to MOT retests, there are a few things to be aware of.

What happens if your car fails an MOT and you leave it at the test centre to be repaired? You won't need a complete MOT; only the section of the MOT that the vehicle failed will be required. A partial retest is what it's called. This is free as long as it is done within 10 working days of the MOT failing.

You might potentially have your vehicle repaired elsewhere. The exam is usually free if you return by the end of the next working day.

Within 10 working days, you can return to the same location where you had your car tested for a partial retest; the test will not be free, but it will be cheaper. At the present, you should be charged no more than half of the initial MOT amount.

What Is the Average MOT Retest Time?

Retesting the MOT takes around one hour on average.

It takes 45 to 60 minutes to do a full MOT on a car. A smaller vehicle, such as a motorbike, will take less time, while bigger vehicles, such as multi-seat vans or trucks, will take longer.

The length of time it takes to retest an MOT depends on what has to be tested. In most cases, just one or two items will need to be re-checked, thus a retest might be completed within 15 minutes. Of course, if more sophisticated products require retesting or extensive repairs, the process will take longer.

Partially retested vehicles should take less time than fully retested vehicles. However, keep in mind the test centre’s timetables. Just because your car may be tested in 10 minutes doesn't imply the centre will know when they'll get to it. This implies you might not be able to drive on the day of the retest.

The cost of fines incurred as a result of an MOT

Even if you have a significant repair bill, the true high costs of MOTs are what occur if you receive a fine. This might happen in a variety of ways:

First, if you neglect to get your car MOT when it's due and end up with a vehicle that doesn't have an MOT. You should avoid this at all costs since, aside from the safety aspect, you might be fined up to £1000. To avoid this problem, the government offers a free reminder service that will send you a text message when your MOT is due.

If your car does not have an MOT, your insurance may be invalidated, and you will be fined £300 and receive six penalty points on your licence. If the case gets to court, the penalties may be in the millions of dollars, and you might lose your licence.

Only when a car is roadworthy and you're driving it to have the issues corrected or to a pre-booked MOT may you drive it without an MOT.

Then there's the penalty for driving a car that has failed an MOT.

You cannot drive your car away if it fails the MOT and has a serious defect. It is considered unfit for use on public roads. You won't be able to drive your vehicle away if it receives a serious fault on its MOT that renders it unroadworthy.

Driving a car with serious flaws or that is unroadworthy can result in a fine of up to £2,500, a driving ban, and three points on your licence.

However, it's critical not to feel as though your car is stranded at the garage that failed it. Get an estimate from the garage for the work that needs to be done, and then get prices from other garages in the area. Even if your car needs to be transported by a tow truck, it may be less expensive to take it to a different garage.

If your car has a serious defect but is still roadworthy and your previous MOT hasn't expired, you may still be permitted to drive it away.