What should I do if my lease car fails its MOT or needs repairing?

Taking care of your lease car is a huge part of having a lease car. But there may be times when you will need to get your car repaired. Perhaps it’s been damaged, or in an accident, or it might have even failed its MOT.

What do you do in that situation?

In this article we are going to talk about what happens if your lease car fails its MOT and what happens if you need to have your lease car repaired.

Is the MOT covered in my lease contract?

According to government legislation, a car doesn’t have to have its first MOT until it is three years old. Most lease contracts last between two and three years which means that if your lease contract is for three years or less then you won’t have to worry about an MOT anyway.

However, some lease contracts last for three years in which case you will have to get your car MOT’d.

By the way, just because you might not have to get your car MOT’d, you still do have to get your car serviced. You can read more about servicing your lease car here.The cost of your lease cars MOT will not be covered in your lease contract, this is something you will have to pay for yourself. However, if you take out a maintenance agreement then the MOT will be covered. A maintenance agreement is an additional monthly cost that covers you for your servicing costs and your MOT should you need one. You can read more about maintenance agreements here. We recommend that those with longer lease contracts consider a maintenance agreement because it spreads the cost of servicing and the MOT over the period of the contract.

If you choose not to get a maintenance agreement then you will have to factor in the cost of the MOT when it comes to budgeting for your lease car.

How much will a MOT cost?

A typical MOT costs £54.85 and is exempt from VAT. You can get it done at any MOT licenced testing station in the UK.

After it has been MOT’d it will be valid for 12 months.

What happens if my lease car fails its MOT?

Unfortunately, if your lease car fails its MOT then you are the one responsible for having it repaired.
You can leave your car at the MOT station and if the work is completed within ten days then you won’t have to pay for the retest. This also applies if you get the work done elsewhere and return to the testing station before the end of the next working day. Anything out of this window means you will have to pay either part of the retest fee or the full retesting fee depending on the licencing station.

We would recommend getting your car repaired at the MOT testing station simply because not only do they know what needs to be repaired to pass its MOT but also because you have a bigger window for a retest.

However, it is up to you.

What happens if my lease car needs repairing?

If your lease car needs repairing, whether it’s been scratched or bumped or something slightly bigger, then you need to get it repaired before you hand the car back. We say this because when you hand your car back it will undergo an inspection to make sure it is in line with the BVRLA Fair Wear and Tear Guide. If does not meet this criteria then you will incur charges.

There is no way to tell you how much these charges will cost, you will simply receive an invoice for the charges shortly after the car has gone back. And the finance house won’t really take into consideration the cost, they will just get it fixed. If you get it repaired yourself then you can shop around for the best deal.However, we do recommend that you get your car repaired at the manufacturer’s garage. This is because they can repair it in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines. You can go to a third party but they may not meet the guidelines and you could still get charged so do so at your own risk.

If you aren’t sure whether you need to get your lease car repaired then we recommend inspecting your Fair Wear and Tear Guide. If you are still unsure then we recommend getting it repaired anyway, it’s better to be safe than sorry and you don’t want to end up with additional charges at the end. If you wish to dispute charges at the end of your contract then you can do so, but we recommend reading this article which will explain everything about damage charges. 

In conclusion, if your lease car fails its MOT then it is up to you to get it repaired. You will have to pay for it and you will also have to pay for the MOT unless you have a maintenance agreement which will cover you for the MOT as well as all the servicing. However, if you have your lease car for less than three years then you won’t have to get it MOT’d. If your car needs repairing for any other reason then you will also have to pay for that. We do recommend that you get this done before your car goes back to the finance house so you don’t run the risk of being charged. The finance house will not shop around for the best deal, they will simply send you an invoice. If you are unsure about anything we have mentioned in this article then don’t hesitate to contact us on 01903 538835