Can't get MOT booked in for a whole month. Can I drive my car?

[F0Xintherainbow]

MOT runs out tomorrow. Can't get it in anywhere for at least three weeks. Anyone know if I can still drive it if it's booked in somewhere? This didn't used to happen! Is it just my area? I've called four garages and all booked up

Try ServicingStop.co.uk - they’ll try all the local garages and send someone to your door to collect. Same price as a usual MOT, or maybe £5/£10 more but clearly worth it. I’ve used them for several years.

Can you ask all your local garages to put you on a cancellations/no show list so you can turn up if someone else doesn't?

It’s not a term anywhere on my policies, could you give the wording on yours that says this?

It’s in contravention of the law if it does say this, so I think you’re mistaken.

I've just looked at them. They do servicing not MOTs according to their website, and they imply they do it themselves not take your car to any random garage. Can you confirm what you've used them for? Was it an MOT?

Try Kwik Fit. I've just done a few random post code searches, and you can get an appointment at some for tomorrow, and others for early next week.

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Call your local council test centre, ours usually has next day slots.

I too was going to suggest you try the national places that are doing MOTs all day every day. They'll have an appointment much sooner.

That’s not wording on the policy, so I suspect that the answer’s no, you can’t.

Try again?

No, but look further afield, there will be availability

I sorn one of my cars every winter.
The MOT was due 31st Dec when i got it, every year i've move out the MOT date by 1 month to get it away from the expensive Christmas time which means its spent around 4-6 weeks a year with no MOT for the last 4 years. In 4 years i have had 3 difference mainstream insurance companies and all 3 have confirmed it is still insured whilst no MOT.

However, obviously you cannot drive it without the MOT unless to test centre anyway

No you cant. You can only drive it after the MOT straight to a reasonably close MOT tester.

For future reference, I think you can get them done up to a month early and roll it forward - 13 month certificate.

You've only tried 4 garages!

Try Halfords and Kwik Fit and be prepared to drive a bit but I'd have thought you'd get something booked in the next couple of days. I've just tried and I could have mine done tomorrow at either Halfords or Kwik Fit within 10 miles.

No you cant. You can only drive it after the MOT straight to a reasonably close MOT tester.

That’s not the case, there is no stipulation as to the distance. I can drive to a pre-booked MOT 200 miles away if I want.

My amazing local garage couldn't fit me in for 4 weeks so I went to Kwik Fit - booked/paid online for the following week. I was really impressed 👍

Absolutely not.

You should have booked it in earlier. If you need to drive it then you will have to try to get an MOT appt further afield.

I’ve just checked my email receipts - I’ve had interim services, major services and MOTS with them.

I live in Ireland. Here we have a massive back log of NCT test (National car testing. )
There is a back log of 8 months in some areas.
Only NCT centres can do them. Crazy stuff!

The two kwik fits closest to where I work have no availability though so saying "just go to kwik fit!" isn't exactly helpful!

Says MOTS on the website. And they didn’t do it themselves - they send an alert to local garages and then the garage carries out the work. Payment is to Service Stop.

From gov.uk -

Earliest date you can get an MOT

An MOT lasts for a year. The date it runs out is printed on your current MOT pass certificate.

You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving a vehicle without a valid MOT.

You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date.

Example

If your MOT runs out on 15 May, the earliest you can get an MOT to keep the same renewal date for next year is 16 April.

You can get an MOT earlier, but the renewal date for the following year will change to one year (minus a day) from the date the vehicle last passed its MOT.

Example

Your MOT is due to run out on 15 May, so the earliest you can get it done is 16 April. However, you take your vehicle for its MOT on 14 April and it passes. This means that the MOT expiry date changes to 13 April the following year

@BrightGreenMoonBuggy thank you for explaining! They sound great even if their homepage isn't very clear; I'll bookmark them for next time I need anything doing to my car.

The MOT is what demonstrates it is deemed roadworthy in our system.

Yeas! And even worse if you're in a collision...

Just wait until they realise that having no tax does not invalidate your insurance either.