Free data resource
Average MOT cost by UK city (2025)
The DVSA caps MOT fees at £54.85 for cars, but most garages charge less. Here is what drivers actually pay across 24 UK cities, plus MOT pass rates and average repair costs when cars fail.
UK average MOT
£42
Typical market rate 2025
Cheapest city
Sunderland £37
Lowest average in our data
DVSA fee cap
£54.85
Maximum garages can charge
MOT costs by city — full table
| City | Avg MOT cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | £37 | Compare quotes |
| Newcastle | £38 | Compare quotes |
| Hull | £38 | Compare quotes |
| Stoke-on-Trent | £39 | Compare quotes |
| Sheffield | £40 | Compare quotes |
| Liverpool | £40 | Compare quotes |
| Wolverhampton | £40 | Compare quotes |
| Leeds | £41 | Compare quotes |
| Nottingham | £41 | Compare quotes |
| Coventry | £41 | Compare quotes |
| Plymouth | £41 | Compare quotes |
| Manchester | £42 | Compare quotes |
| Leicester | £42 | Compare quotes |
| Norwich | £42 | Compare quotes |
| Glasgow | £43 | Compare quotes |
| Cardiff | £43 | Compare quotes |
| Birmingham | £44 | Compare quotes |
| Aberdeen | £44 | Compare quotes |
| Edinburgh | £45 | Compare quotes |
| Portsmouth | £45 | Compare quotes |
| Bristol | £46 | Compare quotes |
| Southampton | £46 | Compare quotes |
| Reading | £48 | Compare quotes |
| London | £51 | Compare quotes |
Sorted by average MOT cost (lowest first). Pass rates are first-attempt. Repair costs are averages for vehicles that fail.
Key findings
- 1.London is the most expensive at £51 average, reflecting higher garage overhead costs. Sunderland is the cheapest at £37.
- 2.Most garages charge below the £54.85 cap. The UK average is around £42 — roughly £12 below the maximum allowed fee.
- 3.Northern cities pass at higher rates. Sunderland (63%), Newcastle (62%), and Hull (62%) have the best first-attempt pass rates. London (56%) has the lowest.
- 4.Repair costs dwarf the MOT fee when cars fail. Average repair costs on failure range from £168 (Sunderland) to £290 (London). Shopping around for repairs is as important as shopping around for the MOT itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum MOT cost in the UK?
The DVSA sets a maximum fee of £54.85 for a standard car MOT (vehicles up to 3.5t). Garages can charge less but cannot legally charge more. Some budget chains run promotions well below this.
What are the most common MOT failure items?
According to DVSA data, lighting and signalling is the most common failure category (accounting for around 30% of all failures), followed by brakes, tyres, and suspension. These are also the cheapest items to address before your test.
Can I drive my car after a failed MOT?
If your current MOT certificate is still valid, you can drive home carefully and arrange repairs. If your MOT has expired, you cannot drive legally on public roads (except to a pre-booked repair appointment). Cars with dangerous defects should not be driven at all.
Does a more expensive MOT mean a better test?
No. The MOT test specification is set by DVSA and identical everywhere. A garage charging £54 performs the same statutory checks as one charging £35. Price differences reflect location, overheads, and marketing rather than test quality.
Methodology and data sources
- MOT fee cap: DVSA statutory maximum fee, in force since October 2010. Source: DVSA guidance, gov.uk.
- Average MOT costs by city: Based on AutoFixFair quote data and independent market-rate sampling from local garage listings, 2024-2025. Figures are averages and may not reflect the lowest available price in each city.
- Pass rates: Derived from DVSA Annual Testing Statistics published on gov.uk, adjusted for city-level variation from AutoFixFair data.
- Repair costs: Median repair cost from AutoFixFair quotes for vehicles that returned for repair after a failed MOT, 2024-2025.
- Cite this data: Free to use with attribution to AutoFixFair and a link to autofixfair.com/mot-costs. Last updated June 2025.
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