If you’re spending more on passing the annual safety check than you car is worth, you might find it is time to trade.
It’s a problem that vehicle owners dread facing every year, as the date for their annual MOT approaches.
While the price of an MOT hasn’t changed in 15 years, the cost is rising rapidly. And with every year that passes a vehicle is more likely to need more repairs which are more expensive.
So at what point should owners be taking the decision that buying a new car will actually save them money in the long run? And what can you do to keep the cost of your MOT down?
It’s a question more drivers are likely to be wrestling with. More than one in four (27%) vehicles tested failed their MOT between April and June 2026, according to the latest DVSA figures.
Mechanics are bound by UK Government regulations which state the most they can charge for an MOT is £54.85 - or £29.65 for a standard motorcycle - even though labour costs since the last increase in 2010 have almost doubled.
Despite this, drivers are increasingly finding their MOT costing them more, with the increase mostly down to the rising costs of parts and the labour charge for repairs necessary to get a pass.
Across more than 7.8 million initial MOT tests, lamps and electrical equipment, suspension, tyres and brakes were among the most common areas where defects resulted in a failed MOT.
Alan Gall, CEO of the Scottish Motor Trade Association, says that a big MOT bill should lead most drivers to ask whether it is worth investing in the repairs.
“If it’s just hard monetary facts it is a simple calculation,” he says. “If you have a car worth £1000, and your MOT repairs are going to cost £500, then you have to ask yourself what your car will be worth after the repairs.
“If it’s still only £1000 - if you are effectively paying £500 just to keep your vehicle at its current value - then it’s not worth it and it’s time to get a new car.”
While this might seem simple of course, mechanics know despite being told the cost of the repair outweighs the value of the car, many drivers will still choose to go ahead with repairs, either through sentimental attachment to the vehicle or because they cannot face having to finance the purchase of another car.
Adding to that decision is the mistaken idea many drivers cling to that passing their MOT means the car will be roadworthy for another 12 months - although of course that is not the case at all.
“It’s a worryingly common misconception,” admits Alan. “The MOT only confirms that a vehicle is safe and roadworthy at point of test - if something fails the next day or the next week, the car might not be legal to take out on the road.
“An MOT isn’t checking all of the components of a vehicle, only those relating to road safety and environmental standards. So you could drive it out the garage and the clutch could fail 100 metres down the road.”
The average lifespan of a car is about 14 years, although most drivers change their vehicles while they can still get some trade-in value.
And when it comes to keeping your car in good condition, keeping the MOT and repair bills down and perhaps making it last a little longer, it’s all about how you treat it.
“It’s no different to a human body,” says Alan. “If you eat healthy and look after yourself when you are younger, as you get older you’re less likely to develop problems, and if you get yourself checked out regularly you’re more likely to find problems when they are easier to fix.”
“It’s tough out there for people, that’s a fact, and as a result they are often putting off a regular service, putting off the small repairs for minor problems. That can add up though - if you repair a minor fault early it might cost you £100. But if you leave it it could become a £3000 problem, and you are also putting yourself at risk of accidents which can push up your premiums.”
The 3-Step Test to See If It’s Time to Sell
Tim Rodie, car expert at leading used car retailer Motorpoint, on the three steps to calculate if you should stick with your beloved banger or invest in a new model.
Take the long view
“Start by looking back over the last 12 months and work out what your car has actually cost you in repairs
“Leave out the routine costs you'd expect with any car, such as your annual MOT or regular servicing. Instead, look at the unexpected garage bills you've had on top.
“Look at frequency too. If you've needed two or three unplanned visits this year, factor that in.”
Future costs
“Calculate the repair costs you expect to pay for in the next 12 months. Look at the advisories from your last two or three MOTs and if the same issue keeps appearing it's worth finding out what those items could eventually cost.
“Add any maintenance you already know is approaching over the next 12 months, such as replacement tyres or your next service.
“You won’t be able to predict every future repair, but this gives you a realistic figure for the costs you can already see coming.”
Do the math
“Combine those two figures and put it against what your car is worth. If that combined repair and maintenance figure is £1,500, spending it around a car worth £15,000 is a very different decision to spending it around one worth £3,000.
“Instead of asking, ‘Can I afford this next repair?’, it forces you to think instead, ‘Does it still make financial sense to spend this much on a car worth this amount?’
“You might decide the car is still worth repairing. But you might also find that you’d rather keep the money you were about to spend, and use the car’s remaining value towards its replacement.”