Garages in the CF postcode area carried out 538,000 car MOTs in 2024, and 67.9% passed first time — 3.8 points below the UK average. The test is the same everywhere; the price isn't: across Wales it typically runs £29–£45 against the £54.85 legal maximum.
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67.9%
Passed first time, 2024
538,000
MOTs in CF postcode area
£29–£45
Typical Cardiff price
The DVSA publishes every MOT carried out in Great Britain, tagged with the test centre's postcode area. For Cardiff that is the CF postcode area: 538,000 first-time car tests in 2024, of which 67.9% passed outright (3.8 points below the UK average of 71.7%). 10.6% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, more than the UK's 8.3% — worth a pre-test check of tyres and brakes.
Share of 2024 tests with a fail in each area, against the UK.
Most tested: Ford (15.7%), Volkswagen (9.6%), Vauxhall (8.5%).
Share of 2024's tests by month. October was the peak (9.8% of the year); December the quietest (6.2%).
A quiet month is the easiest time to find a cheap slot. You can test up to a month early and keep your renewal date.
The MOT fee is capped, not fixed. The legal maximum for a Class 4 car is £54.85 anywhere in the UK, and garages can charge anything up to it. Across Wales, typical prices run £29–£45. Welsh MOT prices are generally below the UK average, particularly outside Cardiff.
Cardiff (South Glamorgan, population around 365,000) follows the same national rules — so the difference between the cheapest and dearest test for the same car comes down to which garage you choose. For the full national picture, see what an MOT should cost in 2026.
Cardiff has a good spread of MOT test centres — national chains alongside independent garages. Because the test is identical wherever you go, the spread in price is pure saving: it's well worth comparing a few before booking.
The test is identical at every garage, so a cheaper Cardiff MOT is a genuine saving, not a corner cut — more on that in our guide to whether cheap MOT deals are worth it.
The legal maximum for an MOT test is £54.85 — but many garages charge less. Compare prices in seconds.
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October was the busiest month at CF postcode area test centres in 2024, with 9.8% of the year's tests; December saw just 6.2%. March and September are the UK's plate-change months — cars first registered then all come due together three years later, and the cycle repeats every year — so demand pushes Cardiff garages busier and prices firmer around them. A quieter week is usually cheaper.
You can test up to a month early without losing any days on the certificate — useful breathing room to shop around rather than booking in a panic.
If your car fails at a Cardiff garage, leave it there for repair and the retest is free; bring it back within 10 working days and many failure items qualify for a free or reduced partial retest. Always confirm the terms before you collect the car — the retest rules in full.
Test data: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results (data.gov.uk), 2024, Class 4 vehicles, normal tests only, first-time result; grouped by the test centre's postcode area, which is the finest level the DVSA publishes. Prices are typical regional garage prices, not quotes; the only figure fixed in law is the £54.85 cap.
Looking nationally? Compare cheap MOT prices across the UK, set a free MOT reminder, or check the MOT history of any vehicle.