No, you generally cannot legally drive a car that has failed its MOT in the UK, with one very specific exception. The law is strict: driving without a valid MOT certificate is illegal. The only time you are permitted to drive a failed vehicle is if you are taking it to a pre-arranged repair appointment or to a pre-booked MOT test. Even then, you must be able to prove the appointment exists if stopped by the police, and the car must be roadworthy—meaning the failure items themselves must not make the vehicle dangerous to drive.
The risks of ignoring this rule are significant. You could face a fine of up to £2,500, receive points on your licence, and even be disqualified from driving. More critically, your car insurance will likely be invalidated if you have an accident while driving without a valid MOT, leaving you personally liable for all costs. The MOT test exists for a reason: to ensure your vehicle meets minimum safety and environmental standards. Driving a car that has just failed means it has been identified as having at least one potentially serious fault.
Before moving the car, you must assess the nature of the failure. If the failure is for a "dangerous" defect, as noted on the MOT certificate, the vehicle must not be driven at all until it is repaired. For "major" defects, driving it to a repair garage is permitted only with a pre-booked appointment. The safest course of action is always to have the garage that performed the MOT carry out the repairs on the spot, then re-test the vehicle. This avoids any legal grey areas and ensures your safety and that of other road users.
