MOT self-check
Will My Car Pass Its MOT?
A car passes its MOT if the tester finds no dangerous or major defects. Use this self-check to see what the official rules say about the problems you know about.
Quick answers
- What makes a car fail?
- Any dangerous or major defect.
- Warning lights
- Engine, ABS, airbag (SRS), stability control (ESC) and tyre pressure lights showing a fault fail. A service light is not part of the test.
- Cracked windscreen
- Fails only if the damage affects the driver’s view: over 10mm in zone A, or over 40mm elsewhere in the area the wipers clear.
- Spare wheel
- Not needed. Spare wheels and tyres are not inspected.
- Who decides?
- Only the MOT tester. This page is a guide to the official rules.
Answer each question for your car. The official answer is shown under every question, so you can also just read the page.
Warning lights on the dashboard
Will my car pass its MOT with the engine light on?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: the engine warning light (malfunction indicator lamp) not working or showing a fault, on petrol cars first used from 1 July 2003 and diesel cars from 1 July 2008.
Will my car pass its MOT with the service light on?
A service light is not one of the dashboard warning lights GOV.UK lists for the MOT. The list covers the lights for the airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, ABS, stability control (ESC), electronic parking brake, brake fluid, electronic power steering, steering lock, tyre pressure monitoring and main beam. The MOT is not the same as a service and does not check the vehicle's general mechanical condition. It does not cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.
Will my car pass its MOT with the ABS light on?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: the ABS warning light not working or showing a fault.
Will my car pass its MOT with the airbag (SRS) light on?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: the airbag (SRS) warning light showing a fault. A passenger airbag that is switched off is not a defect, and nor is a light showing that it is switched off.
Will my car pass its MOT with the ESC or ESP light on?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: the stability control (ESC) warning light showing a fault. Stability control is also called ESP, VDC or DSC. The tester fails it only if they are certain the light shows a stability control fault.
Will my car pass its MOT with the tyre pressure light on?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: the tyre pressure monitoring system obviously not working, on cars first used from 1 January 2012. A tyre pressure warning light can stay on after an earlier loss of pressure. If it is not clear that it shows a fault, the tester adds an advisory instead.
Windscreen, windows and mirrors
Will my car pass its MOT with a cracked or chipped windscreen?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: windscreen damage that affects the driver’s view (over 10mm across in zone A, or over 40mm elsewhere in the area the wipers clear). Zone A is a strip 290mm wide, centred on the steering wheel, inside the area the wipers clear. A repair that is barely visible and flush with the glass does not count as damage. Windscreen damage that does not affect the driver’s view is a minor defect, so it does not fail on its own.
Will my car pass its MOT with tinted windows?
Too much tint on the windscreen or the windows either side of the driver is a major defect if it seriously affects the view through the area the wipers clear or of a required mirror. If it does not affect the driver’s view, it is a minor defect. Other windows are not checked for tint.
Will my car pass its MOT with a broken wing mirror?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: a required mirror missing, not working, badly damaged or insecure. A required mirror that is only slightly damaged or loose is a minor defect.
Tyres and wheels
Will my car pass its MOT without a spare wheel?
Spare wheels and tyres are not inspected. If the tester notices a fault on a spare wheel or tyre, they tell you about it.
Will my car pass its MOT with a space saver wheel fitted?
The tester inspects the tyres on the road wheels fitted at the time of the test, so a spare wheel fitted to the car is checked like any other. Tyres of different sizes on the same axle are a major defect. The manual does not mention space saver wheels by name.
Will my car pass its MOT with a nail in the tyre?
The manual does not mention nails. A cut deep enough to reach the ply or cords is a major defect, and a lump, bulge or tear is dangerous. Before failing a cut, the tester makes sure it is the cords they can feel and not a foreign object; if they are not sure, they pass the tyre and give an advisory.
Lights
Will my car pass its MOT with a broken fog light?
The rear fog light is checked on cars first used from 1 April 1980, and front fog lights on cars first used from 1 March 2018. A fog light that does not work is a major defect.
Will my car pass its MOT with no reverse lights?
Reversing lights are checked on vehicles first used from 1 September 2009. A reversing light that does not work is a major defect.
Will my car pass its MOT with LED headlight bulbs?
From 14 October 2026, MOT testers must accept ECE approved LED replacement (LEDr) bulbs in existing halogen headlamps on class 3, 4, 5 and 7 vehicles. The bulb must have a matching approval sticker from its manufacturer, fixed permanently to the vehicle where the tester can see it. The tester only checks that the sticker is there; they do not remove the lamp or the bulb. The headlamp fails, as a major defect (“light source and lamp not compatible”, section 4.1.4), if an LED replacement bulb is fitted and there is no sticker, the sticker cannot be read, it looks like it has been tampered with, or it clearly does not match the bulb.
Engine, exhaust and emissions
Will my car pass its MOT with the DPF, cat or EGR removed?
Emission control equipment fitted by the manufacturer, such as a catalytic converter, diesel particulate filter (DPF) or exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, that is missing, obviously modified or obviously defective is a major defect. On petrol cars this applies from 1 September 2002; older petrol cars fail only where a full catalyst test applies. The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: signs that the diesel particulate filter has been tampered with.
Will my car pass its MOT with a blowing exhaust?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: an exhaust that is too noisy, or a part of it that is insecure. An exhaust with a major leak is a major defect, and so is an exhaust leak that could affect the emissions.
Will my car pass its MOT with an oil leak?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: a fluid leak that is likely to harm the environment or put other road users at risk. The tester fails a leak that makes a pool more than 75mm across within 5 minutes with the engine running, or several leaks that together leak that fast. A leak of engine coolant, screen wash or the fluid for selective catalytic reduction is not a reason to fail.
Body, doors and recalls
Will my car pass its MOT with a damaged bumper?
A bumper that is insecure, or damaged so that it could injure someone who touches it, is a major defect. A bumper likely to fall off is dangerous.
Will my car pass its MOT if a door won’t open?
The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: a door that will not open or close properly. The driver and passenger doors must open from the outside, and the front doors from the inside too.
Will my car pass its MOT with an outstanding recall?
The MOT inspection manual has no check for safety recalls. If your vehicle has a serious safety defect, the manufacturer will write to you to tell you what to do, and you must not drive the vehicle. You will not usually have to pay for recall repairs or parts.
Your self-check summary
This self-check is a guide based on the official MOT rules. Only the MOT tester decides whether your vehicle passes.
0 items could fail the MOT.
0 items are not part of the MOT or only an advisory.
Check the rest yourself with our pre-MOT checklist, and see the full list of faults in what fails an MOT.
See what your vehicle failed on before
Before your MOT
- Do the simple checks in our pre-MOT checklist.
- See which faults fail and which fail most often in what fails an MOT.
- If your vehicle fails, our MOT retest guide explains free and partial retests.
Frequently asked questions
Will my car pass its MOT?
A car passes its MOT if the tester finds no dangerous or major defects. Minor problems and advisories do not cause a fail. This self-check is a guide based on the official MOT rules. Only the MOT tester decides whether your vehicle passes.
Will my car pass its MOT with a warning light on?
It depends on the light. The engine, ABS, airbag (SRS), stability control (ESC) and tyre pressure warning lights showing a fault are major defects, which fail the MOT. A brake fluid warning light that is on or faulty is a minor defect. A service light is not one of the dashboard warning lights GOV.UK lists for the MOT.
Is a service light an MOT fail?
No. A service light is not one of the dashboard warning lights GOV.UK lists for the MOT. The list covers the lights for the airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters, ABS, stability control (ESC), electronic parking brake, brake fluid, electronic power steering, steering lock, tyre pressure monitoring and main beam. The MOT is not the same as a service and does not check the vehicle's general mechanical condition. It does not cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox.
Will a cracked windscreen fail an MOT?
Only if the damage affects the driver’s view. The MOT inspection manual lists this as a major defect, which fails the MOT: windscreen damage that affects the driver’s view (over 10mm across in zone A, or over 40mm elsewhere in the area the wipers clear). Zone A is a strip 290mm wide, centred on the steering wheel, inside the area the wipers clear. A repair that is barely visible and flush with the glass does not count as damage. Windscreen damage that does not affect the driver’s view is a minor defect, so it does not fail on its own.
Do you need a spare wheel for an MOT?
No. Spare wheels and tyres are not inspected. If the tester notices a fault on a spare wheel or tyre, they tell you about it.
Related guides
Official sources: GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 8 (nuisance), GOV.UK: Car parts checked at an MOT, GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 1 (brakes), GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 7 (other equipment), GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 5 (wheels, tyres and suspension), GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 3 (visibility), GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 4 (lamps), GOV.UK: MOT special notice 05-26 (LED replacement bulbs), GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 6 (body and structure), GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles, GOV.UK: Check if a vehicle has been recalled, GOV.UK: MOT test result and GOV.UK: MOT rule changes, 20 May 2018. Last checked 25 October 2026. Spotted an error? Email hello@