The car has crossed an ocean, the tax is paid, and now it has failed its test. It feels like the whole import has stalled at the last hurdle, and the obvious worry is that it will never get registered.
In almost every case, a fail is a list of jobs rather than a verdict. The examiner tells you what fell short, it is put right, and the car is tested again. Here is how that works for the IVA test and the MOT, and what to do in the rare case where a car really will not pass.
Why a fail is rarely the end
Most failures on imports are things a car built for another market was never designed to have, or ordinary wear. Headlights that dip the wrong way, a missing rear fog light, a speedometer in km/h, worn brakes or a tired seat belt. All of these can be fixed.
We check for them before a car goes into the lane. When problems are found on arrival, we quote to put them right before the car is tested. Even so, examiners find things, and that is their job.
If it fails the IVA test
The IVA test checks the car was built to British standards. A car that does not pass is given a notification of refusal, which lists each item that fell short. My Car Import tells you the reasons straight away.
The DVSA allows a re-examination within 6 months of that first refusal, for a partial fee. Some items, and failures caused by missing documentary evidence, are re-examined free if the car comes back to the same test site within a short window. Otherwise the owner pays a retest fee for the second test.
Because we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, and the DVSA tests on our site every week, the car never leaves us between the fix and the retest. No transporter, and no hunt for a new slot at a government centre, where the wait can run from a few days to several weeks or more.
If it fails the MOT
The MOT checks the car's condition now, and it applies to most imports over 3 years old. A fail comes with a document listing the reasons. We prepare a quote to correct the faults, our technicians do the work, and the car is tested again on our own lane.
GOV.UK sets out how MOT retests work:
- Left at the test centre for repair and retested within 10 working days: a partial retest, with no fee
- Taken away and back by the end of the next working day, for certain listed items such as lamps, mirrors, tyres and seat belts: no fee
- Taken away and back within 10 working days: a partial retest, which can carry a fee
- Anything else: a full retest at the full fee
An unregistered import cannot be driven to a garage for repairs and back. GOV.UK only allows it on a public road on the way to a pre-booked test, insured. That is the practical reason to have the workshop and the lane on the same site.
IVA and MOT failures side by side
| Feature | IVA test | MOT |
|---|---|---|
| What it checks | That the car was built to British standards | That the car is roadworthy now |
| Who tests | A DVSA examiner | An approved MOT tester |
| What you get on a fail | A notification of refusal listing the items | A document listing the reasons |
| Retest window | Within 6 months, for a partial fee | Within 10 working days for a partial retest |
| Free retest | Some items, if back at the same site quickly | If left at the centre, or certain items back by the next working day |
Appealing an IVA result
If you think the examiner got it wrong, GOV.UK allows an appeal within 14 days of the decision. You use form IVA 17 and pay a fee, which is refunded in part or in full if the appeal succeeds. An independent inspector then re-examines the car.
The catch is that the car must not be modified before the appeal inspection. In practice, putting the fault right and retesting is usually quicker, and an appeal makes most sense where the car is genuinely compliant and the disagreement is over the standard itself.
Do not fix it before you decide. If there is any chance you will appeal an IVA result, leave the car exactly as it was tested until you have made up your mind. Any change before the appeal inspection rules the appeal out.
From fail to pass
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Test day
The result
The examiner lists every item that fell short, and we go through it with you.
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After the test
A quote for the work
We price the fix before any work starts, so you decide with the cost in front of you.
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In our workshop
The repair
Our technicians put the faults right without the car leaving our site.
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Next slot
The retest
IVA on the lane the DVSA uses each week, or an MOT on our own lane.
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Within 10 working days
Registration
With a pass, our dealer-level DVLA account registers the car.
When a car struggles to prove it complies
A few IVA problems are about evidence rather than parts. Some items can need proof from the manufacturer, a model report or a comparison with an approved vehicle. IVA model reports and manufacturer letters explains how that works.
Where there is no usable evidence at all, the fallback is testing at a designated technical service, and some of those tests are destructive. That is rare, and it is the reason to check a car's route before you buy it, not after it lands.
If it really cannot be made road legal
Occasionally a car would need more work than it is worth, for example after heavy modification. Importing a modified car covers what commonly causes trouble. If you reach that point, there are still options, and we talk them through with you before anything else happens.
A car that will only ever be used on a circuit can join the DVLA's voluntary Off Road Scheme, which gives it a Q number and a logbook without a road test, as importing a race or track car explains. It cannot then be used on the road unless it later passes the normal tests.
How to avoid a fail in the first place
Before the car is tested
0 of 9 done
The IVA test explained and MOT for imported cars cover what each test looks at, and speedometer and headlight conversions covers the usual changes.
Questions people ask
What happens if my imported car fails its IVA test?
You get a notification of refusal listing what fell short. The faults are put right and the car is re-examined. The DVSA allows a re-examination within 6 months for a partial fee, and some items are re-examined free if the car comes back to the same site quickly.
Do I have to pay for an IVA retest?
Usually, yes. My Car Import notes that the owner pays a retest fee for the second IVA test. Some items, and failures down to missing documents, can be re-examined free if the car returns to the same site within a short window.
Can I appeal a failed IVA test?
Yes. GOV.UK allows an appeal within 14 days of the decision on form IVA 17, with a fee refunded in part or in full if you succeed. The car must not be modified before the appeal inspection.
Can I drive my car to a garage after it fails?
Not if it is unregistered. GOV.UK only allows an unregistered import on a public road on the way to a pre-booked test, insured. With our workshop and test lanes on one site, the car does not need to move.
What if my car can never pass?
It is rare. Usually the answer is more work or better evidence of compliance. A car that will only be used on track can join the DVLA Off Road Scheme instead. We talk through the options with you before anything is done.
Worried about how your car will do? Tell us about it on the quote form and we will flag anything likely to need work before it ships.
