Cash-strapped motorists in the UK face a new financial blow: the cost to repair a car that fails its annual MOT test has skyrocketed 70% since 2022, according to a new report from comparison site BookMyGarage. Based on thousands of invoices, the average bill to turn a failing six-to-eight-year-old car into a pass now stands at £425, including the legally capped £54.85 test fee. Even vehicles just three to five years old cost an average of £332 to fix.

£425 average : the cost to turn a failing MOT into a pass

BookMyGarage's market review found that repair bill inflation has been running at 6.7% to 7.8% annually since 2022. For a typical motorist, the difference is stark: one unnamed national garage chain now charges an average of £227 per invoice, up from £134 in 2022 — a 69% increase. A smaller regional network that tends to handle older cars has seen its average MOT-related invoices rise by 50%, climbing from £122 in 2023 to £183 in 2025, per the report.

Repair inflation double that of food prices

The data reveals that MOT-related repair cost inflation has run at roughly twice the rate of food price inflation over the same period . While the overall MOT pass rate has improved — from 60% in 2013/14 to 71.9% in 2025 — the vehicles that do fail are incurring far higher repair costs . Karen Rotberg, co-founder of BookMyGarage, said : "Repairs are not optional after an MOT failure, so many of Britain's motorists are caught in an inflationary spiral that shows no sign of easing."

Pass rates improve even as cars age

Despite the average age of cars on UK roads increasing, the official DVSA failure rate has actually fallen to 28.1% in 2025 from 40% a decade ago. The report suggests this may reflect more diligent maintenance by owners who are trying to keep older vehicles running longer. Yet those who do fail are now exposed to the steepest repair bills on record. The cost of replacement parts and labour has been the primary driver, according to BookMyGarage.

The unnamed garage chain charging £227 – up from £134

Perhaps the most telling single data point in the BookMyGarage report is the performance of one unnamed national garage chain, which saw its average total invoie rise to £227 from £134 in 2022 — an increase of nearly 70%... The report does not name the chain, leaving a key question unanswered: which major garages are passing on the steepest price increases to drivers? A smaller regional network that typically works on older vehicles saw a 50% increase over a shorter period,from £122 in 2023 to £183 in 2025.

What remains unknown: transparency and the missing names

While BookMyGarage has provided aggregate figures, the report does not identify the specific garage chains that are raising prices most aggressively. It also does not break down how much of the cost increase is due to parts versus labour, or whether the surge is uniform across the UK or concentrated in certain regions. Motorists are left to compare local garages on their own — a process that BookMyGarage's platform facilitates, but which still requires vigilance in an environment where repair inflation is outpacing almost every other household cost.