If you own a car, you might not be sure what sets an MOT apart from a service. This confusion is common because both usually happen around the same time each year and involve checking your vehicle. Many drivers think that passing an MOT means their car is in good shape, only to be surprised later by a warning light or an unexpected repair bill.
Not knowing the difference can mean paying for repairs you could have avoided or missing important maintenance. An MOT only checks if your car is legally safe to drive on the day of the test. A service, on the other hand, is about keeping your car in good shape and stopping problems before they start. Understanding this helps you plan ahead instead of waiting for issues to happen.
This guide explains what happens during an MOT and a service, why both are important, and when you might need each one.
In the UK, most vehicles need an MOT once they are three years old. This test makes sure your car meets the government’s basic safety and emissions standards. If you drive without a valid MOT, you could get fined, and your insurance might not cover you.
The test uses rules set by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) on GOV.UK [1]. An MOT checks whether your car is safe to drive at the time of the test, but it doesn’t say anything about how reliable your car will be in the long run.
An MOT is simply a pass-or-fail test. It doesn’t include any maintenance or repairs unless you arrange them separately. So, your car can pass an MOT even if some parts are worn out or need regular servicing.
During an MOT, the examiner checks visible safety and emissions parts of your car without taking anything apart. This includes:
DVSA data shows that many MOT failures are caused by common problems that develop between tests [2]. From April to June 2025, 27.24% of Class 3 and 4 vehicles failed their first MOT, with lighting and electrical faults in 10.36% of tests and tyre issues in 6.23%. This shows how small issues can add up if you don’t keep up with regular maintenance.
A car service isn’t required by law, but it’s important for keeping your car reliable and avoiding unexpected problems. An MOT only checks if your car meets legal safety and emissions rules on the day of the test. A service is about looking after your car’s long-term health.
Car servicing follows the schedule your car’s manufacturer recommends, based on time or mileage. This helps reduce wear, keep your car running well, and spot problems early. RAC research from April 2025 found that 59% of drivers get hit with unexpected repair bills each year, averaging £617 [3]. The most common surprise was tyres at 64%, then brake repairs at 24%, and suspension issues at 21%, which goes up to 30% for cars aged three to ten years.
Regular servicing helps spot wear in things like tyres, brakes, batteries, and suspension before they fail. This lowers the chance of breakdowns, keeps surprise costs down, and helps your car stay reliable between MOTs.
Servicing is even more important as your car gets older or if you use it differently. Cars that do lots of short trips, towing, or stop-start driving wear out parts like batteries, brakes, and suspension faster. Fixing this wear early can help you avoid MOT failures and surprise repairs.
During a normal car service, technicians might do things like:
Regular servicing can help your car use less fuel, keep the engine healthy, and stop small problems from becoming expensive repairs. It also helps keep your car’s value up by showing a good service history.
At this stage, it’s easiest to see the difference between an MOT and a service by looking at what each one does. An MOT checks if your car meets legal safety and emissions rules on a certain day. Servicing affects how well your car runs in the months after.
This explains why a vehicle can pass an MOT while still having overdue maintenance, such as worn oil or ageing filters, and why a well-maintained car can still fail an MOT if a safety-critical component falls outside legal limits on the day of testing.
In practical terms:
When you combine MOT testing and regular servicing, you get a better idea of your car’s condition, since each serves a different purpose.
Having both an MOT and regular servicing gives you more control over looking after your car. MOT advisories point out things that are close to legal limits, while servicing lets you fix wear and tear before it becomes a problem. This way, you can plan costs better and avoid last-minute surprises.
At Sunrise Service & MOT Centre, we focus on helping drivers understand what their car really needs. Our team works with many types of cars and commercial vehicles, as you can see on our Vehicles We Service page. Customers often mention our clear advice and reliable work in their testimonials. We also share practical tips and updates in our News section, so you can get useful information without any pressure.
Call us on 01258 459 798 or use our contact form to book your MOT or service, or to get clear advice before making any decisions.
[1] GOV.UK, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), “The test uses rules”: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/introduction
[2] GOV.UK, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), “many MOT failures are caused by common problems that develop between tests”: https://www.gov.uk/csv-preview/68e682f5750fcf90fa6fff65/dvsa-mot-03-mot-class-3-and-4-vehicles-initial-failures-by-defect-category.csv
[3] RAC, “research from April 2025”: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/motoring-news/unexpected-car-repairs-cost-drivers-more-than-600-a-year/