Our new study uncovers which car types, brands, and regions are leaving their MOTs to the very last minute, booking MOT appointments online in the final 48 hours before their MOT is due to expire.

 

Most Disorganised Car Brand Owners

Analysing the last 12 months of booking data, we identified the car brands most likely to have owners leave their MOT bookings until the last minute. The percentages below show the proportion of drivers for each car brand who only go to book their MOT check in the final 48 hours before it expires. For example, Porsche’s 4.76% means roughly 1 in 21 Porsche drivers leave it until the very last moment, while Smart’s 2.35% means only about 1 in 43 Smart drivers do the same.

 

Top 30 Car Brands by Last Minute MOT Bookings

(Most to least likely to leave it until the final 48 hours)

  1. Porsche – 4.76%
  2. MG – 4.51%
  3. Mercedes – 4.25%
  4. BMW – 4.05%
  5. Land Rover – 3.99%
  6. SEAT – 3.93%
  7. Audi – 3.90%
  8. Volkswagen – 3.89%
  9. Ford – 3.73%
  10. Lexus – 3.73%
  11. Mitsubishi – 3.65%
  12. Vauxhall – 3.63%
  13. Honda – 3.62%
  14. Renault – 3.55%
  15. Tesla – 3.55%
  16. Fiat – 3.54%
  17. MINI – 3.52%
  18. Nissan – 3.48%
  19. Suzuki – 3.40%
  20. Kia – 3.40%
  21. Dacia – 3.32%
  22. Peugeot – 3.29%
  23. Toyota – 3.27%
  24. Volvo – 3.27%
  25. Hyundai – 3.23%
  26. Mazda – 3.16%
  27. Jaguar – 3.16%
  28. Citroën – 2.98%
  29. Skoda – 2.76%
  30. Smart – 2.35%

 

The UK Regions with the Most Last Minute MOT Drivers

The analysis also highlights big differences by location. Some regions are far more likely to leave their MOTs to the last minute.

Among the 30 busiest regions for MOT bookings, Leicester tops the list for last minute bookings, with 6.43% of drivers waiting until the final 48 hours. In contrast, just 1.12% of drivers in Sandhurst do the same, meaning Leicester motorists are almost six times more likely to cut it fine.

 

Top 30 UK Regions by Last Minute MOT Bookings

(Most to least likely to leave it until the final 48 hours)

  1. Leicester – 6.43%
  2. Bristol – 5.55%
  3. Liverpool – 5.18%
  4. Norwich – 4.96%
  5. Cardiff – 4.78%
  6. Coventry – 4.51%
  7. Birmingham – 4.41%
  8. Milton Keynes – 4.37%
  9. Manchester – 4.37%
  10. Exeter – 4.13%
  11. Stoke-on-Trent – 4.13%
  12. High Wycombe – 4.08%
  13. Aberdeen – 4.02%
  14. Reading – 3.93%
  15. Plymouth – 3.83%
  16. Cambridge – 3.79%
  17. Guildford – 3.78%
  18. Derby – 3.59%
  19. Edinburgh – 3.55%
  20. Colchester – 3.41%
  21. Glasgow – 3.39%
  22. Leeds – 3.36%
  23. Lincoln – 2.92%
  24. Portsmouth – 2.86%
  25. Andover – 2.51%
  26. Sheffield – 2.35%
  27. Southampton – 2.31%
  28. Nottingham – 2.20%
  29. Brighton – 2.12%
  30. Sandhurst – 1.06%

 

September is the Peak Month for Last Minute MOT Panic

The biggest differences in last minute behaviour are seen by location and brand, though fuel type also plays a role. EV drivers are slightly more organised, with about 1 in 29 (3.42%) booking in the final 48 hours, compared to 1 in 27 (3.64%) of petrol drivers.

We also found that September was the peak month for last minute bookings, with 4.72% of bookings made in September occurring within 48 hours of the MOT expiry date. In contrast, December has been the calmest month at 2.66%. In busy months like September, this surge in late bookings can put extra pressure on garages. If they are fully booked, drivers who cut it fine risk being unable to use their car until a slot becomes available.

 

430K Last Minute MOT Failures Could Leave Cars Undriveable

Our data shows that 3.6% of all MOT bookings are made at the last minute, within the final 48 hours before the expiry date. If that same pattern is applied across the UK’s 42.7 million full driving licence holders, it would be equivalent to around 1.54 million last minute MOT tests each year.

With DVSA figures showing that 27.9% of vehicles fail their MOT on the first attempt, roughly 430,000 drivers a year could find themselves unable to legally use their car if it fails and a garage cannot complete repairs quickly enough.

Jessica Potts, Chief Marketing Officer at BookMyGarage, says: “If you only book your MOT in the final 48 hours before it expires, you’re giving yourself very little flexibility. Once your MOT has expired, you can only legally drive your car to a pre-booked MOT test or a garage for repairs, and it still needs to be insured while you do so. Driving without a valid MOT can lead to a £1,000 fine and may also invalidate your insurance if you are stopped or involved in an accident. To avoid these complications, it’s best to book your MOT well in advance. We typically find that the average car owner books their MOT test 27 days ahead of expiry, so try to aim for something like this.

“Booking early doesn’t mean testing early. You can have your MOT carried out up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date - for example, if your MOT is due on 20 February, you could book it today and schedule the test for 21 January without losing any days. Using BookMyGarage, you can compare deals and book your appointment up to a year ahead. Booking well in advance locks in your appointment date for peace of mind and testing a few weeks before expiry gives you time to fix any issues, keeps your renewal date the same, and helps you avoid fines and hassle.”

 

 

Methodology

We analysed 12 months of MOT booking patterns from December 2024-2025 by car brand, region and fuel type (EV vs ICE), comparing total bookings with those made in the final 48 hours before the due date. The brand analysis focused on the 30 manufacturers & cities most frequently booked with us in January 2025. Results are based on weighted averages across the period to ensure the rankings accurately reflect booking behaviour.

According to DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain, 27.90% of all vehicles tested in 2024–2025 failed their MOT on the first attempt (initial fail rate).