7:59 am, August 18, 2026
The Independent Garage Association has called on the price of an MOT to be raised to at least £95, ahead of its upcoming meeting with Government officials.
Car Dealer reported earlier this month that the IGA had secured a meeting with the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of its long-running campaign to increase the upfront cost of tests.
The body argues that the current MOT fee cap for class 4 vehicles has remained unchanged, at £54.85 since 2010, while independent garages have faced higher costs for labour, rent, equipment, fuel, energy, compliance, administration and staff training.
Stuart James, chief executive of the IGA, says the current fee has become ‘unsustainable’ and suggested a 73% hike to a minimum of £95.
He said: ‘It is a fact that the current MOT fee has remained static for 16 years.
‘We are being advised by garage owners that without a significant increase to the MOT fee, they cannot continue to sustain this ever-increasing cost burden.
‘As the representative body for the independent garage sector, the IGA will continue to challenge the Government to deliver an acceptable resolution to this issue before it causes a level of consumer detriment.’
The IGA says a recent survey of its members showed strong support for an increase, with feedback from garages showing a growing number are already reducing their MOT capacity because of the commercial pressures involved.
The organisation fears that if the fee continues to fall behind the cost of delivering an MOT, motorists could be left to fight for fewer testing appointments at a reduced choice of garages.
Speaking earlier in the summer, the DfT told Car Dealer it was committed to ‘working closely with industry to listen to their concerns’.
A spokesman said: ‘We understand the financial pressures faced by drivers and the industry surrounding them, including MOT centres, which is why we keep MOT fees constantly under review, working closely with industry to listen to their concerns.’