FOI request reveals the alarming reasons for MOT refusals

More than 7,000 vehicles were given an “MOT refusal” because they were too dangerous, or too excessively dirty, to test. Select Car Leasing presented its findings after making a Freedom of Information request for the top reasons for MOT refusals in 2023 between January and May 2023.

Of the 7,000 vehicles given a refusal, 526 were simply “too dirty to examine.” A further 785 MOT tests were refused on the grounds that the state of the vehicle was ‘too dangerous’ for a proper inspection to be carried out, with a threat posed to the tester, surrounding property, and the car itself.

In 302 cases, the car wasn’t ‘fit to be driven’, while 139 MOTs were snubbed because the owner couldn’t prove the vehicle had been serviced and maintained properly. Meanwhile, 87 vehicles were refused an MOT test because they were carrying a dodgy load, and 57 vehicles were too smokey to be granted access to the MOT test station.

The research demonstrates the extreme tip of the problem of the state of some cars on UK roads. Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said the company’s research shows some cars “are seemingly neglected to the point of being downright dangerous.

“It’s one thing for a car, van or motorcycle to fail an MOT, quite another to be in such a sorry state of disrepair and cleanliness that an inspection can’t be granted in the first place. The stats highlight the need to present your car to an MOT testing station in a clean and tidy condition. Make sure all the doors open and close as they should and empty the boot of detritus to make inspection simple and easy.

“And if your vehicle’s cabin is piled high with sandwich cartons, empty crisp packets, spent vapes, and dirty clothes, an MOT tester has every reason to refuse to set foot in it. After all, a discarded plastic bottle that rolls underneath the brake pedal could be catastrophic during any road test.”

MOT test centres often display informational posters explaining the possibility of cars being refused a test if the owner can’t prove a solid service and maintenance history.

When it comes to the MOT refusal reason of ‘suspect maintenance history of diesel engine’, Select Car Leasing’s Graham Conway explains: “When a car is put through its MOT, the engine needs to be revved hard so that the tester can check for emissions and general road worthiness.

“With a diesel engine, the car is often revved right to the redline limit. But if the tester suspects that your car hasn’t been well maintained, he or she will be reluctant to put it through the test in the first place in case the testing process actually obliterates the engine. As well as evidence of service history, a tester might also ask for proof that the timing belt has been changed on time.”

Overall, the most common reason for an MOT test refusal this year (2,988 cases) is that the test centre wasn’t equipped to carry out an inspection on that particular class of vehicle. Some centres can’t test larger minibuses or ambulances, for example.

The second most common reason for refusal, contributing to 1,112 cases, is the inability to open essential parts of the vehicle, such as the doors, boot, fuel filler cap or engine cover.

An MOT is a maintenance check-up carried out once a year on cars over three years old.

It’s a crucial part of ensuring the cars on UK roads retain a basic level of roadworthiness. You can be fined £1000 if caught driving or parking your vehicle on the road without a valid MOT.

The full study is available on Select Car Leasing’s website.