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Original poster

Car MOT

26 replies

Doggynoname · 01/02/2022 20:24

my car failed it’s mot will major & minors but no dangerous faults.. my mot doesn’t run out till the 7th on the gov website it says insured but also says on mot history it failed today. Can I drive it till the 7th or not? Getting mixed answers on Google!

OP posts:
Original poster
Doggynoname · 01/02/2022 20:38

Help!

OP posts:
cruelladevill · 01/02/2022 20:43

I'd say no. As you've booked in for an MOT now it may take a few days to update on the government website

It's not roadworthy if it's failed now.

cruelladevill · 01/02/2022 20:44

The MOT date will be now from when it's failed not from when it's due

ZeusandClio · 01/02/2022 20:46

If you hadn't taken it in, the MOT would have been valid until the 7th. Now it's failed it is unroadworthy and unsafe, so your insurance is invalid and you can't legally drive it until the faults are fixed.

LIZS · 01/02/2022 20:47

You can only drive to a garage to fix and retest.

Hariboqueen1 · 01/02/2022 20:50

Yes you can drive it to the 7th, I own an MOT garage. If it was a dangerous fault you wouldn’t be able to. I am unsure why people are guessing the answer to this?

Shade17 · 01/02/2022 20:50

Yes, your MOT is valid until expiry however your car still needs to be roadworthy. Depends on what the fails are and if you have it repaired or not, you can keep driving it.

MissMaple82 · 01/02/2022 20:54

No you can't. It's unroadworthy and has failed a test. You would not be covered in an insurance claim. Just get it done done now, why pit it off for a few days

cherrytreecottage · 01/02/2022 20:55

@Hariboqueen1

Yes you can drive it to the 7th, I own an MOT garage. If it was a dangerous fault you wouldn’t be able to. I am unsure why people are guessing the answer to this?
Interesting! I had the same thing back in Sept. Car had valid MOT until say 28th, I had it done at the main dealership on 20th and it failed. I asked if I could take it away and bring it back the following week for the repairs and they said no, it no longer had a valid MOT...so I had to leave it with them over the weekend until they fixed it!
gingerninja99 · 01/02/2022 20:57

From .gov

Car MOT
Shade17 · 01/02/2022 20:57

Interesting! I had the same thing back in Sept. Car had valid MOT until say 28th, I had it done at the main dealership on 20th and it failed. I asked if I could take it away and bring it back the following week for the repairs and they said no, it no longer had a valid MOT...so I had to leave it with them over the weekend until they fixed it!

They’re lying bastards by the sounds of it! Even with a dangerous fault they have no power to stop you taking it away.

inheritancetrack · 01/02/2022 20:57

call your insurer. they are the best people to answer. record the conversation as i once had an insurance company say one thing, then deny it later.

EricScrantona · 01/02/2022 21:00

You used to be able to drive until it expired. However, now you cannot drive an unroadworthy car, regardless of MOT status. As your car cannot pass an MOT, it is unroadworthy and cannot be driven unless it is to the test centre for a test. If you have an accident, you won't be insured. Having an expired MOT is different to a failed MOT.

Saying that, you will probably be ok.

Another point is that you say nothing dangerous, if it has a major then it's dangerous.

Shade17 · 01/02/2022 21:03

You used to be able to drive until it expired. However, now you cannot drive an unroadworthy car, regardless of MOT status. As your car cannot pass an MOT, it is unroadworthy and cannot be driven unless it is to the test centre for a test. If you have an accident, you won't be insured. Having an expired MOT is different to a failed MOT.

Utter drivel. You can drive your car after a major fail depending on what that is. For example, if it fails on a headlight bulb and you replace that bulb then you’ve no issue whatsoever. The problem arises with dangerous faults.

EricScrantona · 01/02/2022 21:10

Well yes, if you replace the bulb that made it fail the test then of course you don't have a problem! Having a headlight out is dangerous. It might not be assigned as dangerous but it is dangerous.

Kitkat151 · 01/02/2022 21:11

No you cannot....it’s now failed so unroadworthy...you are not covered by insurance

Shade17 · 01/02/2022 21:16

Well yes, if you replace the bulb that made it fail the test then of course you don't have a problem! Having a headlight out is dangerous. It might not be assigned as dangerous but it is dangerous.

An engine management light is a major fail, that’s certainly not dangerous or unroadworthy either.

jazzandh · 01/02/2022 21:17

Yes according to gov website above.

Shade17 · 01/02/2022 21:17

No you cannot....it’s now failed so unroadworthy...you are not covered by insurance

Why do people comment on things they clearly no nothing about?

EricScrantona · 01/02/2022 21:20

An engine management light could be alluding to EGR or similar meaning it doesn't meet emission standards and means it has a problem which could cause danger such as go into limp mode while driving. EML should be addressed at the earliest opportunity.

Shade17 · 01/02/2022 21:22

EML should be addressed at the earliest opportunity.

Whilst I agree, it doesn’t mean you can’t drive round with it illuminated after an MOT fail.

SeasonFinale · 01/02/2022 21:23

You can only not continue to drive it if it fails on on of the "dangerous" fails.

Other than that you can continue to drive it until the old MOT expires. You are still insured.

Essentialgarage · 01/02/2022 21:23

@Hariboqueen1

Yes you can drive it to the 7th, I own an MOT garage. If it was a dangerous fault you wouldn’t be able to. I am unsure why people are guessing the answer to this?
Hmm, not quite.

If dangerous you can't drive from the station. This is new, previously you can drive from one place and back after MOT.

Now if not dangerous you can drive back to a fixed point. However if for example your mot failed on tyres (but not dangerous) and you are pulled by the police it will be 3 points per tyre. Insurance will not cover you if you have an accident caused by these tyres.

So it is a grey area. Fail on emissions is more likely to be fine than failing on brakes.

EricScrantona · 01/02/2022 21:30

Oh yes - Completely agree. We have all driven perfectly fine with EML on at some point, I'm sure. As long as it's confirmed as not being a pre cursor to something awful I think we should be able to drive with it. That was an annoying rule change but a rule change it is!

Original poster
Doggynoname · 01/02/2022 21:30

It failed on major on windscreen wipers
Lower suspension arm ball joint
Track rod end ball joint

OP posts: