FAILED YOUR MOT TEST? HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO NEXT

We just hate flunking in an MOT test. It can be mighty disappointing for us. We all agree that MOT is inevitable, as it examines the street-worthiness of our vehicles. Failing it certainly creates more hassles for us, as the story doesn’t end there. We need to get the faults fixed as soon as possible if we want to continue manoeuvring and propelling our cars on the roads. 

So, here’s a guide for you to take the next course of action, in case you aren’t able to pass your MOT with flying colours in the first instance.

What happens when your car fails an MOT?

• You’d get an MOT refusal certificate (VT30), which will state the reasons for the failure of the MOT Boston test

• You’d lose out on your insurance. You’d also be charged with a hefty fine of £2500 if you are still found driving around your car for a leisurely purpose. You can face prosecution charges, as it’s, considered a crime to drive this kind of vehicle. However, you can drive it to the nearest test centre or garage for the repair work.

• You need to get it repaired quickly and get it tested again.

MOT retest

As stated earlier, a retest is extremely important after MOT failure and that too before the previous certificate expires. Here’s what you can do-

 

• In case your car can be repaired and retested at the same centre within 10 working days, then the centre wouldn’t charge anything. This is called partial re-examination. There’s a list of items mentioned by DVSA which come under this category. But, if the repairs that need to be done do not come under this list, then you’d again have to pay for a full MOT test.

• The same centre can again charge for a full MOT test fee if you bring back your car to it after 10 working days.

What to do if the centre doesn’t allow you to take back your car after the failure?

This might happen at times when the testing centre doesn’t allow you to take your back after an MOT Boston failure. Well, you must know that no garage can stop you legally from taking your car back. You have the complete authority to decide whether you want to get your car repaired at the same centre or elsewhere. 

In such a case, you can always get your car towed to its destination. This way, you won’t have to worry about flouting the rules. 

How can you appeal for a failed MOT?

This is quite possible that you might like to challenge the decision of the MOT testing centre. In that case, you can always appeal to DVSA. Just be sure that you make the testing centre very clear of your intention in advance. Have a healthy discussion with them to avoid any kind of blooper later on. 

Follow the procedure by filling up the ‘Complaint about an MOT’ form and send it to DVSA within 14 working days. The DVSA would revert quickly and arrange for a retest in five days. Here, you’d be required to pay the full MOT fee. Nevertheless, if you win the case, you’d be refunded the MOT fee fully or partially, depending on the case.

So, don’t get worked up when your vehicle fails in MOT. Instead, take the failure in stride and decide for the next course of action to resort back to normalcy at the earliest.