What happens if my car doesn't pass the MOT?

The mandatory, periodic inspection of a car at a station to certify its roadworthiness can result in three possible assessments, two of which may end with our car failing the MOT

With the tightening of the Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) introduced at the beginning of last year, a vehicle’s evaluation can produce up to three outcomes: one pass and two fails.

Proper care and optimal maintenance of a car is vital to pass the MOT with a pass mark. But sometimes, through lack of knowledge or carelessness, problems or defects can lead to a fail and the car not passing the MOT.

Either way, we summarise the three only possible assessments for a car and what to do if the car does not pass the MOT.

Favourable ITV

After going through all the tests carried out at the ITV station, the car receives the go-ahead and can continue to be driven until the next inspection, and it will show this by displaying a new and mandatory ITV sticker.

A car may achieve a favourable ITV even though minor defects have been found, which are problems of lesser importance or impact that it is advisable to fix, although it is not compulsory to return to the station to prove they have been repaired.

Unfavourable ITV

During the inspection, serious defects have been detected in the car. In this case the user or owner must repair them to resolve the issues that cause the ITV to be failed and, for this to happen, they may tow their car to the workshop, and as a general rule they will have up to 60 days for the repairs to be carried out; depending on the situation, this could be extended, something that should be agreed with the ITV station where the second inspection will take place, since.

It should be noted for this case of having a car with an unfavourable ITV or a negative ITV that, as set out in the law on the new ITV of May 2018, the re-inspection after fixing the detected problems may be carried out at another station and could be free of charge.

Depending on the autonomous communities, the regulations differ and, for this reason, it is advisable to ask the staff about the guidelines, time frames, possible cost, etc., which will allow us to decide whether to return to the same ITV station or switch to another for whatever reasons.

We wish to stress that, from the moment an unfavourable ITV is received, the car may only be driven to the workshop. It may not be driven on public or closed roads, risking a traffic fine for driving without a valid ITV, which carries a penalty of 200 euros.

Negative ITV

This case is the most serious of all. It means the car does not pass the ITV as it presents defects that pose a risk to the safety of its occupants or of other people nearby.

In fact, the car is immobilised at that moment and can only leave the ITV station by tow truck, on its way to the workshop, a garage or the scrapyard, since, from the moment the ITV evaluation of the car is negative, it is totally prohibited for the car to be driven under any circumstances.

As we have indicated previously, we remind you that it is possible to retake the inspection if our car does not pass the ITV at another station and without paying the fees again, as set out in the section on the unfavourable ITV.