Traditionally, March and September are the busiest months for MOTs in the UK. This is because many people like to buy their cars when the new vehicle registrations come out.
When your car's due for its MOT, it's important to remember that the most common causes of MOT failure are often easy to fix ahead of time.
That’s why we’ve put together this handy checklist to help you reduce the odds of getting bad news from the garage.
Pre MOT checklist
This quick guide to what’s checked in an MOT test doesn’t include everything the testers look for when you hand them your keys. Instead, it concentrates on the things you can identify yourself.
Airbags - If airbags were in the original manufacturer’s specifications, they must be present and working.
Battery - The battery must be secure with no signs of leaking electrolyte.
Body - There must be no protrusions on the car body that could cause injury.
Brakes - The MOT testers will check that:
- The brakes are in good working order
- The handbrake works
- You can’t push the footbrake right down to the floor
- There’s no corrosion in the brake pipes and that no brake fluid is leaking
Dashboard warning lights - Any illuminated safety warning lights (such as engine management, airbag, ABS, ESC or brake system warnings) could result in an MOT fail, so always get any potential issues fixed as soon as possible.
Emissions - All emissions‑control equipment (such as catalytic converter, EGR valves, oxygen sensors etc.) must be present and working correctly. Missing or modified emissions equipment will result in an MOT fail.
Exhaust - The exhaust system must be secure and not leak.
Fuel - The fuel system will be checked for leaks, and the tank cap must seal properly and be in good working order.
Horn - Test your car’s horn but do it somewhere it isn't going to disturb or startle other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists. If it doesn't work, it'll need to be fixed or replaced.
Lights - Make sure your lights are all working as they should, which means checking the:
- Headlights (main and dipped)
- Sidelights (front and rear)
- Brake lights
- Rear fog lights
- Indicators
- Rear number plate lights
- LED lights - flickering or partial LED strip failure is an automatic fail.
- Light system - for example, switching on one light shouldn’t affect another unrelated light.
- Lights aren’t obscured - for example, if the lights are cracked, damaged or have cloudy plastic.
Mirrors - The driver’s mirror, plus a suitable second mirror (such as the interior or passenger‑side mirror) must provide a good view of the rear of the car. The mirrors must also be intact, secure and free of cracks.
Number plates - Number plates must be securely held in place and free from cracks. The number must be clearly visible, formatted and spaced according to Government guidelines.
Seatbelts - Make sure the seatbelts fasten as they should and retract properly. They also must be in good working order overall.
Seats - All seats must be secure and remain locked in the upright position when put there.
Speedometer - The speedometer must be present, easy to read and illuminated when required.
Steering - The steering wheel must be in good working order and securely attached, and the tester should be able to turn it from lock to lock. If the vehicle included power steering in its specification, then that should still work.
Towbars - If your car has been fitted with a towbar, all its components should be securely attached and free from excessive wear, corrosion or damage.
Tyres - Tyres need tread of at least 1.6mm depth in a continuous band across the middle three-quarters of their width. They also need to be in good order, with no bulges, deep cuts or other signs of excessive wear or ageing.
The front tyres should be the same size as each other, as should those at the rear, and the pressure should be correct in all of them.
If your car was registered after January 2012 and has a tyre pressure monitoring system, it must still work.
Washer jets - The washer jets must work.
Wheels - The wheels should be in good order. Make sure no wheel nuts are missing.
Windscreen - Check that there is no significant damage to the windscreen that could impair the driver’s view. There must not be any damage larger than 10mm in front of the driver, and outside of this area (but within the area covered by the wipers), no obstruction larger than 40mm is permitted.
Wipers - Front wipers need to work correctly and clear the screen.
Common MOT failures
It’s important to be aware of the most common causes of MOT failures, so you can look out for the warning signs and sort any issues before your car goes for its test.
According to DVSA data for 2024//25, the most common MOT faults involve:
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (25%) – before your test, check that the electrics and all your bulbs are working, clean out the plastic casings if necessary.
- Suspension (19%) – springs and shock absorbers often take the strain of today’s heavier vehicles combined with poor road conditions. Noise and uneven tyre wear can be a warning that something needs to be replaced.
- Brakes (16%) - another common cause of MOT failure, always pay attention to any reduction in responsiveness and don’t ignore dashboard warning lights.
- Tyres (13%) - inspect the condition of each tyre regularly, make sure your tyre tread is above the legal minimum (of 1.6mm), and get the pressure right (this is something that all drivers should do, regardless of when their MOT is due)
- The driver’s view of the road is obscured (8%) - make sure your washer jets and wipers are working, and act if you see any new chips on the windscreen.
What to do if your car fails its MOT
If your vehicle fails its MOT, the result will appear in the MOT database, and you’ll receive a notification called a ‘Refusal of an MOT Test Certificate’. You can appeal against the MOT failure if you believe there are grounds.
The government allows you to take the vehicle away if your MOT certificate is still valid, and if it has run out, you’re still permitted to drive it to:
- Have the defects fixed
- Take the car to a pre-arranged MOT test appointment
The government says: "in both cases, your vehicle still needs to meet the minimum standards of roadworthiness at all times, or you can be fined."
Driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition can incur three penalty points and a fine of up to £2,500. Even more importantly, you’ll be putting yourself and other road users at risk by not getting your car back up to a safe standard.
Driving without a valid MOT can invalidate your insurance, and driving without insurance is an offence. The police could give you a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points if you’re caught driving a vehicle you’re not insured to drive. Steeper penalties apply if the case goes to court. You could get:
- An unlimited fine
- Disqualified from driving
The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy vehicles being driven uninsured.
MOT checker
You can check to see whether a motor vehicle has a valid MOT certificate by using the free MOT checker on the Gov.uk website. This tool allows you to use the licence plate number of any car to find out whether it has a valid MOT.
