Justine Hoadley

MOT cost cutting a dangerous move for motorists

Bi-annual MOT proposal will not alleviate the rising cost of car ownership, says Intelligent Motoring, as delaying repairs will double already rapidly rising costs

Posted on Sep 23, 2022 by Justine Hoadley

Bi-annual MOT proposal will not alleviate the rising cost of car ownership, says Intelligent Motoring, as delaying repairs will double already rapidly rising costs

As a new RAC1 survey rears fresh consumer concerns about Government’s plans to change the compulsory MOT from every year to every two years, Intelligent Motoring highlights the rising cost of vehicle repairs and says that short-term financial gains from delaying an MOT by twelve months will have long term financial implications, as well as significant road-safety consequences.

Data analysis from Intelligent Motoring, the parent company of MotorEasy, Motokiki and Warranty Assist, reveals the cost of vehicle repairs has risen on average by 33% January-June 2022, compared to the same period in 20212.  These costs are expected to continue to rise.

Duncan McClure Fisher comments, “With the cost-of-living crisis hitting households hard across the UK, the industry and Government has a duty to responsibly support consumers in managing their finances during these difficult times. Delaying repairs to vehicles for short-term financial gain is not an answer.

“Our analysis of service, repair and maintenance claims confirms that the costs are rising and this is likely to continue. A small fault today already costs a third more to rectify than it did this time last year. Leave this small fault to develop another 18-24 months and the cost implications could be significant, let alone the safety risk it could pose to the driver, their passengers and other road users.

We must not forget that the UK has one of the best road safety records in the world and this is due in no small part to our current MOT system.”

The findings of the RAC survey back Intelligent Motoring’s sentiment. Over half (58%) say the changes could end up costing drivers more in the long run due to problems or defects going undetected and becoming more costly to repair, while 44% believe it might cause garages to put prices up for other repairs to compensate for lost earnings from doing less MOT work.

Previous research carried out by Intelligent Motoring revealed that UK motorists could save around £2billion every year simply by making sure they get their MOT test done at the same time as their annual vehicle service. Analysis of around 5,000 MOTs and services every month showed that 80% of faults found in service procedures would be flagged in the MOT test anyway.