Motorists warned of MOT backlog
Motorists have been urged to book their MOTs now with more than 10 million tests still due before the end of the year.
A study by Fixter, a UK end-to-end online car maintenance service provider, has revealed that 75% of garages are experiencing a surge in demand for MOT bookings for October, November and December compared to normal year-on-year trends.
Meanwhile, 45% of garages admit they are having to make customers wait longer than usual to book their cars in. To compound the issue associated with the MOT backlog, 70% of garages have experienced issues with increasing costs as well as delivery and sourcing issues of general parts such as tyres and brakes.
According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), 9.58 million vehicles got an exemption via the six-month government extension, and 58.7% of those cars have yet to have an MOT. In a typical year, there would be approximately 6.5 million MOTs expiring in October, November and December combined. However, as a result of the extension, it is now predicted there will be a colossal 10.4 million MOT expiries across the three months.
Limvirak Chea, CEO and co-founder of Fixter, said: “The backlog of vehicles for MOTs is having significant implications on garages. Following our study, we believe the current backlog is just the start, and that significant waiting lists are yet to come from October onwards. As a result, UK consumers are facing a race against the clock to get their MOTs booked-in now, to avoid significant waiting lists, resulting in them potentially unable to use their vehicle.
“Turning a blind eye to your MOT certificate is not an alternative option for motorists, as it carries a significant financial and legal burden, resulting in costs associated with fines and repairs, a scenario given the current economic climate, all UK car owners will be looking to avoid.”
