The boot being stuck shut will not cause the car to fail, but the station may refuse to MoT the car if the tester is unable to access certain areas (like the rear seatbelt mounts).

Anyway, locking isn’t relevant to the MOT – just latching i.e. being able to open and close the door.

The simple answer is, no. If your vehicle is more than three years old, you can ‘t drive without an MOT unless you’re on the way to the garage for your pre-booked MOT appointment.

These might have to be fixed before the test. Check the functioning of the doors, bonnet and boot as well. All should open and close securely.

Ensure Your Vehicle Has Enough Oil The oil check is an important part of an MOT because without it, the garage will not be able to test emission levels. You can check this by taking a quick look under the bonnet.

What is checked in an MOT?

• Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.
• Steering and suspension.
• Brakes. 9.6% of MOT fails are due to brake issues.
• Tyres and road wheels. 10% of all MOT faults are related to tyres.
• Seat belts.
• Body, structure and general items.
• Exhaust, fuel and emissions.
• Driver’s view of the road.

There’s a maximum amount MOT test stations can charge. This depends on the type of vehicle. The maximum fee for a car is £54.85 and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle. You do not pay VAT on the fee.

If your vehicle fails an MOT and you leave it with the test centre for repair, you’ll have a partial retest. As long as this is done within 10 working days of failing the MOT, it’s done for free. If you take your vehicle away for repairs, and return it before the end of the next working day, the test is normally free.

It’s illegal to drive with an invalid MOT certificate. If your car has failed and the date on your certificate has passed, you can only drive your car to be repaired or to a pre-arranged MOT appointment, and only if it is completely roadworthy at all times.

If your car has failed its MOT, it will need to be re-tested for MOT certification. An MOT retest or partial MOT retest can be carried out within ten working days. This ensures you have enough time to make any required repairs prior to the retest for a pass.

Basically, you can drive your vehicle away with an MoT fail even if you have an old valid MoT certificate still in date, unless a ‘dangerous’ issue has been listed on the paperwork and the minimum standards of roadworthiness aren’t met. Ultimately if you drive the car away and something happens, you’re still liable”.

What is a dangerous MOT fault? If your vehicle has a fault categorised as dangerous it cannot be driven until that fault has been repaired. Dangerous faults include having no functioning brake lights, or a steering wheel so loose that it’s likely to become detached.