MOT explained: what's tested, what it costs, what fails
An MOT is required every year once your car is three years old. The maximum a garage can charge for a car MOT is £54.85 — many charge less to win the repair work that follows.
What gets tested
Brakes, tyres and wheels, steering and suspension, lights, seatbelts, exhaust and emissions, mirrors, wipers and washers, the horn, the fuel system, body condition and the registration plates. It is not a service: nothing is dismantled and engine wear is not assessed.
The most common failures
Lighting and signalling faults, tyres below 1.6mm across the central three-quarters, worn brake pads or discs, and driver-view issues like a chipped windscreen in the swept area. Most of these cost under £100 to put right if you catch them before the test.
What it should cost
£54.85 is the legal maximum for a car. A pre-MOT check is usually free or around £20 and can save you a retest. A retest is free if you leave the car at the same garage and it is repaired within ten working days.
MOT is not TÜV
If you have driven in Germany, the TÜV Hauptuntersuchung is a two-year test with different criteria. An MOT certificate is not interchangeable with it, and vice versa.