Launching in Surrey
MOT test and MOT repair quotes
Post the job free with your registration and postcode. Garages on Matchanic can see it and choose whether to quote, and you only go ahead if you accept one. Matchanic is new and launching in Surrey, so there may be few or no garages on Matchanic near the car yet.
When your MOT is due
- In Great Britain a car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, then every year after that.
- You can have the test up to a month (minus a day) before the current MOT runs out and keep the same renewal date.
- The date is on your last MOT certificate. You can also look it up free with the registration on GOV.UK’s MOT history service.
- GOV.UK will send you a free MOT reminder by text or email a month before it’s due.
Jobs you can ask garages to quote for
The jobs you can choose for this when you post. Pick the one that fits, or the closest, and add the detail under ‘Anything else’.
- MOT test
- MOT retest
- Pre-MOT check
- MOT advisory repairs
- MOT failure repairs
What affects the price
Each garage sets its own price. These are the things that usually make the difference.
- The test itself has a legal maximum fee (below). A garage can charge less than that, but not more.
- Repairs are priced separately from the test, by the parts and labour each fault needs.
- For a retest, whether there’s a fee depends on where the car is repaired and how soon it goes back (below).
- A pre-MOT check, or advisory repairs, depend on how much you ask the garage to look at.
- The car’s make and model, which affect the cost of any parts.
MOT rules, from GOV.UK
- Only an approved MOT test centre can carry out the test: it shows the blue sign with 3 white triangles. Matchanic doesn’t check whether a garage is one, so before you accept a quote for the test itself, check with the garage.
- The maximum fee for a car’s MOT (up to 8 passenger seats) is £54.85.
- You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT. The exceptions are driving to a pre-arranged MOT test, or to or from somewhere to be repaired.
- Problems are graded dangerous, major, minor or advisory. A dangerous or major problem fails the test. Minor problems and advisories don’t, but they’re listed on the result so you can keep an eye on them or get them repaired.
- You can be fined up to £2,500, banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a car that failed its MOT because of a dangerous problem.
- After a fail, you can take the car away only if its current MOT is still valid and no dangerous problems were listed. Otherwise it has to be repaired first.
- A partial retest is free if you leave the car at the test centre for repair and it’s retested within 10 working days. The other cases are on GOV.UK’s retest page.
- The test doesn’t cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.
- Some classic cars don’t need an MOT: see GOV.UK’s guidance on historic vehicles.
What to tell the garage
Choose the job: the test, a retest, a pre-MOT check, advisory repairs or failure repairs. For a retest or repairs, copy the failure items and advisories from your MOT result under ‘Anything else’, word for word if you can. Garages price the repairs from them.
Add the date your current MOT runs out, and say whether the car can still be driven legally (see the rules above). If you want a service at the same time, ‘MOT and service’ is one job under Car servicing.
Questions about the MOT
Can I drive my car if the MOT has run out?
Only to a pre-arranged MOT test, or to or from somewhere to be repaired. Otherwise you can be fined up to £1,000. If the car failed because of a dangerous problem, driving it can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a ban and 3 penalty points.
What do advisories mean?
An advisory is a problem the tester noted for you to monitor or fix in the future. It doesn’t fail the test on its own. Advisories are listed on the result and in the car’s MOT history, and you can post them as ‘MOT advisory repairs’ so they can be dealt with before the next test.
Can I have the repairs done somewhere else?
Yes, but it can change the retest. The partial retest is free if the car stays at the test centre for repair and is retested within 10 working days. If you take it away and bring it back to the same centre within 10 working days, you can be charged a partial retest fee, though some items are retested free if it’s back by the end of the next working day. After that, it needs a full MOT. Check each quote says whether it covers the test, the repairs or both.
Does the MOT check the engine?
No. GOV.UK says the test doesn’t cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox. A service looks after those, and a diagnostic job is for a particular fault.
Related jobs
Start with your registration
Posting a job is free, and you don’t have to accept a quote.
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