Is it Common for Garages to Fail MOTs on Purpose?

You might wonder whether garages fail cars that have been submitted for an MOT inspection deliberately. Why? Because this could force you to have work carried out to bring the car up to the correct specification. If a mechanic were to say your car has failed and then carry out spurious works on it, for example, then it could mean they get two MOT fees from you plus the cost of additional labour and parts. So, does this sort of thing really go on? Read on to find out.

An MOT test should be no more than £54.85 plus VAT since this is the legal maximum that an MOT centre in London can charge for cars. On a side note, if you are looking for one then you can book your MOT appointment in London at affordable prices nowadays at Elite Direct.  In reality, it is a competitive marketplace and many Londoners will find lower pricing than this. If your local garage attempts to charge more, then unless they are also servicing your car – which is different – you should smell a rat and head elsewhere.

In addition, if you think about the competition that is the reality among MOT centres, ask yourself why a garage would risk gaining a reputation for falsely failing cars purposefully. Yes, there could be some short-term financial incentive for so doing but what about the long-term risk of ruining their reputation? Bear in mind, too, that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) oversees MOT testing. It can put a car that it knows to be roadworthy through an MOT centre at any time. If the garage deliberately fails it, then this won’t always be seen as an error but could constitute illegality. Ask yourself whether it is worth such sharp business practice to fail cars in order to attempt to make a few more pounds in income.

The DVSA has the right to withdraw an MOT centre’s operating license, after all. If so, it cannot issue MOT certificates any longer which would put the entire business at risk. Indeed, fines could follow if the issue was serious enough to warrant court action. Therefore, although it is not possible to say that a car has definitely been failed by an MOT inspector on purpose, the chances are that it won’t have been. If you think you’ve suffered this problem, then have your car independently verified. Inform trading standards officers of your concerns and report the issue to the DVSA who can take appropriate action.