Quick answer
We Buy Scrap Cars Corby buys MOT failure cars across Corby, Kettering and nearby villages, including cars with an expired MOT. Get an instant price online, free collection, paid by bank transfer when we collect. Call 07598 314366.
- Price
- Instant online
- Collection
- Free
- Payment
- Bank transfer on collection
- Paperwork
- Certificate of Destruction
On this page
- Failed MOT, what now?
- Can I drive my car to you after it fails?
- Which MOT failures are worth scrapping?
- How selling an MOT failure works
- Does a failed MOT lower the scrap price?
- Expired MOT and SORN cars
- MOT failure collection across our area
- Paperwork for an MOT failure
- A few things to do before we come
- Advisories, rust and the slow slide to scrap
- Selling an MOT failure for a family member
- Why we pay by bank transfer, not cash
Failed MOT, what now?
The tester hands you the sheet and the list is long. Corrosion on a structural part, a clutch on its way out, a gearbox noise, maybe a head gasket. You get a quote for the work and it is more than the car is worth. That is the point where most people around Corby start looking at how to sell an MOT failure car.
You have three choices. Pay for the repairs, sell the car as it is to someone who wants a project, or scrap it. If the repairs are bigger than the car's value, scrapping is often the sensible option. We buy MOT failures as they are, collect them free and pay you by bank transfer.
Can I drive my car to you after it fails?
You do not need to. We collect from wherever the car is, so it never needs to go on the road again. That matters, because driving a car without a valid MOT is only allowed in limited situations, and a car with dangerous faults should not be driven at all. Leave it where it is and we will bring the truck.
Which MOT failures are worth scrapping?
Every car is different, but these are the failures that most often tip the balance towards scrapping:
| Failure | Why it often means scrap |
|---|---|
| Structural rust | Sills, subframes and mounting points are costly to repair properly |
| Gearbox or clutch | Parts and labour often outweigh an older car's value |
| Head gasket | Big job, and often a sign of other engine trouble |
| Several items at once | Each one is small, but together they add up |
| Advisories piling up | This year's pass becomes next year's long list |
Our guide on scrap or repair helps you weigh it up. If you decide to scrap, the instant price page tells you what we will pay.
How selling an MOT failure works
- Enter your reg and postcode on our instant price page.
- See your price on screen straight away. No contact details needed.
- Accept it if you are happy, and add your name, phone number and email.
- George calls to book a free collection at a time that suits you. Tell him what the car failed on then.
- We collect and pay by bank transfer, once we have checked your ID.
The price stands as long as the car is as you described it. If something is different on the day, we explain before loading and you can say no.
Does a failed MOT lower the scrap price?
Not in the way people expect. A scrap price is mainly about the car's weight and the current scrap metal price, plus make, model and whether it is complete. A failed MOT does not change how much metal is in the car. What matters more is that the engine, gearbox, catalytic converter and wheels are all still there.
So do not strip parts off before you sell. A missing catalytic converter or wheels will lower the price. Our MOT failure cost guide explains this in more detail, and our guide on how scrap car prices work covers the background.
Expired MOT and SORN cars
Some cars do not fail an MOT. They just never go for one. If your car's MOT ran out months or years ago and it has been sitting on a SORN, we still buy it. A scrapped car does not need a SORN, and once the DVLA is told it has been scrapped, the car is off your record.
If the car has sat so long it no longer starts or the wheels will not turn, that is fine too. Our recovery trucks carry winches, dollies and skates. See our non-runner page.
MOT failure collection across our area
We collect MOT failures from driveways, roadsides, car parks and garages across Corby, Kettering and the villages around them. Garages that want customers' failed cars moved off their forecourt can call us too. Local pages include MOT failures in Corby, Kettering, Priors Hall Park, Barton Seagrave and Rothwell. Find your village on our areas page.
Paperwork for an MOT failure
The paperwork is the same as any scrap car. Have photo ID and proof of address ready, as the law requires us to check them. Hand over the V5C logbook and keep the yellow slip. If the logbook is lost, read our guide on scrapping a car without a logbook.
The car goes to a licensed Authorised Treatment Facility, which issues a Certificate of Destruction and tells the DVLA. Any full months of tax left are refunded automatically, and you should cancel your insurance. Our Certificate of Destruction guide explains what to expect.
A few things to do before we come
- Take out everything personal, including the glovebox, door pockets, boot and under the spare wheel.
- Remove dashcams, sat navs and parking permits.
- Cancel any toll or parking accounts linked to the reg.
- Transfer or retain a private plate with the DVLA first if you want to keep it.
Advisories, rust and the slow slide to scrap
Many cars do not fail all at once. The advisories build up over two or three tests: corrosion on a brake pipe, a slight oil leak, a tyre near the limit, some surface rust on a subframe. Each year the list gets longer, until the pass becomes a fail and the repair bill arrives in one go.
If you can see that coming, it can be worth selling before the next test rather than after. The car is the same weight either way, but you avoid paying for a test and repairs you were never going to finish. Our scrap car collection page covers cars that have simply reached the end, and if the car has stopped starting altogether, see non-runner collection in Corby.
Selling an MOT failure for a family member
Often the car that fails is not the seller's own. It might be a parent's car after they have stopped driving, or a student's first car left behind on the drive. Whoever sells it needs photo ID and proof of address, and should have the V5C or proof they are entitled to sell. If in doubt, tell us the situation when we call and we will explain what is needed.
Why we pay by bank transfer, not cash
Paying cash for scrap cars is illegal under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. We pay by bank transfer when we collect, so there is a clear record of the sale.
Get your instant price for your MOT failure now, or call or WhatsApp 07598 314366.
Last updated 14 October 2026 by We Buy Scrap Cars Corby.
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- How to scrap a car legally
- Certificate of Destruction explained
- Scrapping a car with no logbook
- Should I scrap or repair my car?
- How scrap car prices work
Questions people ask
Can I sell a car that has failed its MOT?
Yes. We buy MOT failures as they are, with free collection and payment by bank transfer when we collect.
Do I need to drive my MOT failure to you?
No. We collect it from wherever it is parked, so it does not need to go on the road.
Is it worth repairing a car that failed its MOT?
It depends on the repair cost against the car's value. If the repairs cost more than the car is worth, scrapping is often the sensible option.
Will a failed MOT reduce my scrap price?
Not much. Scrap prices are based mainly on weight and the scrap metal price, but missing parts such as the catalytic converter will lower it.
Do you buy cars with an expired MOT on a SORN?
Yes. We buy cars with no MOT or tax, and a scrapped car does not need a SORN.
Should I take parts off before you collect?
No. A complete car is usually worth more, so leave the engine, gearbox, catalytic converter and wheels in place.