MOT failures
Scrapping a car that failed its MOT
A failed MOT forces a decision: pay for the repairs, or let the car go. When the garage estimate is close to the car’s value, scrappage is often the sensible answer.
MOT failures
Weighing it up
A car without a valid MOT can’t be driven on the road, except to a pre-booked test or to a garage for repairs. That leaves three choices: fix it, sell it as it stands, or have it scrapped.
Repairs make sense when the car is otherwise sound. When several faults stack up at once (corroded sills, worn suspension and a tired clutch, say), the bill can quickly exceed what the car will ever be worth. Scrapping it gets something back and takes the problem off your hands.
Before the car is collected
- Remove personal belongings, including from the boot and glovebox
- Transfer or retain a private number plate first
- Have the V5C (logbook) to hand if you have it
- Cancel the insurance only after the car has gone
Common reasons for a fail
The faults that most often end a car's life
- 01
Corrosion
Rust on sills, floor pans or suspension mounts is expensive to cut out and weld, and it rarely stops at one spot.
- 02
Brakes
Seized calipers, corroded pipes and worn discs together can add up to a large bill on an older car.
- 03
Emissions
A failing catalytic converter or a diesel particulate filter fault can cost more than an older car is worth.
- 04
Suspension and steering
Broken springs, worn ball joints and leaking shock absorbers are common on high-mileage cars.
How it works
The full circle
Four stages take an unwanted car from your drive to a new life as recycled material. Here’s what happens at each one.
- 1
Value
Enter the registration and the postcode where the car is parked. The details go to a licensed buyer who covers that area, and they come back with an offer.
- 2
Collect
Agree the offer and pick a day. The car is collected free of charge from a drive, a street, a car park or a garage, wherever it happens to be.
- 3
Scrap
The car goes to an Authorised Treatment Facility, where fluids, the battery and hazardous parts are removed safely and the paperwork is completed.
- 4
Recycle
Reusable parts are recovered, and the shell is shredded so the steel, aluminium and other materials can be made into something new.
Questions
MOT failures: questions
Straight answers to what people ask before scrapping a car.
Can’t see your question? Read every answer or call 0800 058 8087.
Can I drive a car with no MOT to the scrapyard?
Only in limited cases, such as to a pre-booked MOT or for repairs. Collection avoids the question entirely, because the car is loaded onto a recovery vehicle.
Does an MOT failure lower the offer?
The offer reflects the whole car: its make, model, age and condition. The reason it failed is one part of that picture.
Is there a charge for collection?
No. Collection is free wherever the car is in the UK, there are no admin or hidden fees, and turning down an offer costs nothing.
How quickly will I hear back?
Usually within about an hour of your details reaching the buyer. If you haven't heard by then, call us and we'll follow it up.
What we scrap
Other situations we handle
Choose the situation closest to yours for what to expect.
Ready to scrap your car?
Get an offer from a licensed local buyer in minutes, with free collection whenever suits you.