Individuals who have recently had their vehicles inspected at a MOT centre and are not pleased with the final results of the MOT test are allowed to appeal against the original decision made by the MOT centre.

The vehicle owner's appeal must be lodged with the VOS/DVA within 28 days of the original test date if the disagreement has to do with the mechanical aspects of the test. You may wait up to three months to appeal for any corrosion issues as long as the corrosion is not on the brake discs, the brake lines or the exhaust system. Any mileage or lack of mileage that was incurred after the original test will not have any relevance on the appeal even if the vehicle has not been used for several months after the initial test

Once all of the items in question have been fully repaired, replaced or removed from the vehicle, the owner's right to appeal is null and void. Also items that are easily replaceable such as new tyres or wiper blades cannot be appealed against because it can't be properly determined whether they've been replaced since the initial test was taken at the MOT centre.

You do not have to pay any additional fees in order to appeal against your original MOT test. However, appeals against a failure will require a fee - the value of this fee would be the same as the cost of a normal test for your vehicle. If the appeal is found in your favour and it is proven that your vehicle was incorrectly diagnosed by the appellate inspector at the MOT centre, then the additional fee for the test is refunded to you.

It is very important that you consider filing an appeal if you believe that you have been provided with faulty information by your chosen MOT centre at the end of your test. The VOS/DVA always takes appropriate action when they find that a vehicle has been incorrectly diagnosed by an MOT centre. The penalty can range from points being issued for minor infringements to the MOT centre having its license revoked for major violations to the test rules.

While the VOS/DVA is able to take action against a MOT centre that gave the wrong information to a vehicle owner after their test was completed, they are not able to discipline a station that is involved in a current appeal and are not able to pursue any compensation for any type of complaint in favour of the vehicle owner. That is the responsibility of the Trading Standards. Also, an MOT centre cannot be held liable for any defects that occur to a vehicle several months after a test has been successfully completed and no defaults were found on the car at that time. You can find out more information about what types of appeals you can make and the steps you need to take in order to file a complaint against a decision made by an MOT centre by referring to the VT20 pass certificate and the VT30 failure notice.

Individuals that feel it is appropriate to appeal against a decision made at an MOT centre can do so providing they make the appeal within 28 days of the original test date.