Colchester MOT test centres

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Of every hundred cars presented for an MOT in the CO area, about 29 fail. Nationally the figure is 28, so Colchester and its surroundings are typical. The most common defect on failed tests here is a sidelight not working, which runs 15% above the national rate for that defect. Based on 770,998 tests recorded by DVSA.

Bars show how often each defect appears on failed tests in this area. The figure in italics is the difference from the national rate for that defect.

Most lighting failures are a single dead bulb. Testers see them every day, and every one of them could have been fixed in a car park. The pass rates for the whole country show the same pattern, and our list of advisories that become failures puts a number on how often a noted item fails the following year.

The £54.85 figure is a ceiling, not a price list. Colchester garages compete on the test fee because they hope to do the repairs, so the test itself is often £30 to £45. You are under no obligation to have failures fixed where the car was tested.

When to book in Colchester

March is the busiest month for MOTs in the CO area, with about 63% more tests than April. If your test falls in a busy month, book two to three weeks ahead; in a quiet one, most stations can fit you in within days.

Retests

A failed car left at the garage for repair gets a free retest. Take it away and bring it back within ten working days and the retest is free for the common small items (bulbs, wipers, tyres, mirrors, seatbelts) and half price at most for the rest. Miss the ten days and you pay for a full test.

Driving to the test without an MOT

You can drive to a pre-booked test with no MOT, and to a garage for repairs found at the test. That is the only situation where driving without one is legal, and the car must still be roadworthy and insured.