Motorists holding keys to vehicles built between these years could be forced to splash out hundreds of pounds on repairs after failing an MOT test, according to a new report. Latest figures from BookMyGarage revealed that the average bill after a failed MOT for cars between six and eight years old now sits at an average of £425.
Newer cars built between three and five years ago are also paying hundreds to keep their cars on the road, with drivers charged around £332 after a failure. Experts at BookMyGarage has warned that repair costs are on the up, with one garage’s average total invoice on an MOT booking has risen from £134 to £227 since 2022.
They suggested customers were now seeing an increase of 70%, with the biggest single 24.3% jump coming in 2025.
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 which shows no sign of easing.”
BookMyGarage stressed that repair costs have been steadily rising in recent years. From 2016 until 2021, experts warned that car repairs broadly matched general consumer price inflation of around 1.7% to 3.6%. However, since 2022, repair inflation has shot up to between 6.7% and 7.8% in a major blow.
Karen added: “With more drivers holding onto their cars for longer, garages are inevitably seeing more vehicles reach the stage where parts naturally wear out. Most people don’t know exactly what their car needs and that’s where transparency is key.”
According to BookMyGarage, 40% of cars failed the test between 2013 and 2014, much higher than the fail rate in 2025 of just 28.1%.
The RAC has previously explained that lighting and signalling issues are the most common reason why cars fail their annual MOT test, accounting for 18.9% of non-pass certificates.
Suspension issues were next and behind 13% of all MOT failures across garages in the UK. Brakes accounted for 10% of failures, followed by tyres (7.7%) and driver vision (7.2%).
