I’m trying to sell our old Astra, but the MOT is about to expire. Can I get the garage to drive it back to their testing centre and then back to my house on garage plates?

I’m not planning to tax or insure it, just to put an MOT on it so it’s more likely to sell. If it fails, which I don’t think it will I’ll just scrap it.

not sure, but assume you’re keeping it on private land until it sells as you’re not planning on taxing or insuring? Also needs to be SORN’d if you’re doing that.

Don’t need tax for the journey to MOT it.

Insurance is more of an issue though – you might be opening yourself up to some horrible liabilities – unless you hit a cyclist obviously…

Yes as their insurance should cover for this

No idea SORN rules re this

Thanks.

It’s currently SORN/not insured and is safely tucked away on our driveway.

I should probably just phone the garage and check with them.

If it’s no go with the garage collecting it, you can get day insurance. can’t remember who does it, but Norwich Union certainly used to (so Aviva now?).

As long as you are going to or from a pre-booked MOT test you are fine without VED, I think.

to or from a pre-booked MOT test you are fine without VED, I think

You are, but you do need insurance. And you need to inform the garage that it’s SORN when you book the MoT so they can log it as such.

Be careful if you go down the route of driving it there yourself.

You will obviously need to insure it but some insurances will allow you to drive it there but won’t cover you to drive home if it fails.

I had a VW Polo which was SORNd as I was working on it. Think I was with Lancaster Insurance and I explained to them about the MOT and they said the return journey wouldn’t be covered if it failed as it would be unroadworthy.

Regarding the SORN, best option is to get a written appointment card off the MOT station in case you set off an ANPR in a Police car. You can then show the officer where you are going.

I was stopped for no MOT and given a fine, no points luckily.
Car was all good, i just had forgotten to renew it.
I was allowed to drive off.
Policeman told me that no MOT does not invalidate insurance, if i had an accident and my car was found to be at fault then insurance company could walk away MOT or not..

Few issues there.
You can drive a vehicle to an MOT on a SORN (or expired Tax) as long as it is pre-booked even if the MOT has expired.
You MUST have insurance to drive it. I had just that issue a few days a go. I just phoned up my insurers and got the car insured for 24 hours for £20. It had a Mot but was about to expire. You cannot just drive it, even if you have insurance to drive another vehicle. It must be insured somewhere on a policy which states the Reg Number.

If the garage drive it over their on their garage plates that covers the insurance, but technically they cannot allow you to drive it on their plates.

However, check with the insurer that they will cover you for an un-mot’ed vehicle as many state within their T&C’s that they will only cover you if the vehicle is in a roadworthy condition. The technical test for this is “does it have a valid MOT”. If it doesnt and you have a shunt etc then you will have to prove to them that the vehicle was roadworthy… probably by paying for a vehicle check/MOT etc.

D

Insurance whilst not mot’ed will just render the fully comphrensive part null and void, but third parties are ok, they will still be covered.

Driving back from a test, is dependent on what the vehicle failed on, headlight bulb, airbag light etc, ok to drive, bald tyre not ok to drive, something which the tester flags as dangerous as well also renders it not drivable.

To drive away you can only be going to a place of repair, not home, then go out again to get it repaired.

Most garages won’t lend out trade plates, they are worth too much to them, I know we have a policy of no lend.