The $425 Price Tag for an MOT Pass

Cash-strapped motorists are facing a perfect storm of rising fuel prices, higher road tax, and spiraling MOT repair costs. Despite an increase in MOT pass rates, owners of vehicles that fail the annual check-up are being stung with skyrocketing bills to put their cars right. The cost of replacement parts and labour has been accelerating over the last three years, with the cost associated with turning a failing car into an MOT pass 70 per cent higher today than it was in 2022.

This is based on thousands of invoices,with some garages found to be charging almost £100 more per average bill than three years ago.

The report follows news that the cost of repairing large luxury cars is soaring, making SUVs in particular a 'growing financial risk', especially for those running older vehicles that are more likely to encounter issues.

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The market review revealed that MOT-related repair cost inflation is double that of food prices in recent years. Since 2022, repair bill inflation has risen to between 6.7 per cent and 7.8 per cent.

BookMyGarage found that the average bill to turn an MOT-failing car into a pass today is £425 for models in the six-to-eight-year age bracket. Even for cars as young as three to five years,the average receipt is £332.

This is inclusive of the MOT test itself, which is legally cappd at £54.85.

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At a national level, the data found that one - unnamed - garage chain is now charging £227 on average for a total invoice, up from £134 in 2022.

Another, smaller regional garage network that typically handles older cars has increased its average MOT-related invoices by 50 per cent , the analysis found.

Where additional work was completed by this provider, invoices clmibed from £122 in 2023 to £183 in 2025.

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Fortunately, fewer motorists are encountering MOT-related repair bills. Official records held by the DVSA show that pass rates have steadily improved since 2013/14, when 40 per cent of cars failed the test.

In 2025 , the failure rate fell to just 28.1 per cent. This is despite the average age of cars on the road increasing, suggesting that motorists are servicing their vehicles more diligently to ensure they run reliably for longer.

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.'

Most people don't know exactly what their car needs , and that's where transparency is key. 'Our advice is to carefully compare trusted local garages, understand their pricing, and read real reviews before making a choice - which our platform provides.

This puts motorists back in the driver's seat when costs are escalating dramatically, helping them to make the best-informed choice of garage.'

The soaring costs of repairing large cars is also a concern, with high-value, major mechanical failures becoming 'increasingly common' across prestige and performance vehicles as repair complexity and component costs rise.

Data and insight from Warranty Solutions Group (WSG) show that average repair bills across the UK increased from £632.10 to £679.24 over the last 12 months, while average labour rates rose from £65.63 to £68.51 per hour.

The warranty provider says high-value mechanical failures are becoming a 'pressure point' within the premium used vehicle market, particularly as customers retain cars for longer.

WSG says it has logged at least 10 warranty repair claims in the last two years that cost in excess of £13,000 - eight of which involved JLR models, alongside an Aston Martin and a Ferrari.

WSG says this is reflective of wider trends, with repair costs continuing to rise as vehicles become 'more technologically advanced and increasingly expensive to fix'