Booking an MOT via AI? Over a third of drivers are already comfortable with it

34% of UK drivers are comfortable booking a service or MOT via AI, more than any other automotive task, according to new Moneypenny research. Booking a service or MOT is one of those jobs that sits at the bottom of most people's to-do list: routine, time-bound, and rarely needing a conversation, which may explain why it is the task drivers trust AI with most.

According to research commissioned by Moneypenny and carried out by Censuswide among 2,000 nationally representative UK consumers in June 2026, 34% of drivers said they would be comfortable booking a service or MOT via an AI system. That puts it well ahead of every other automotive task tested, from test drives to buying or selling a car.

Here is what the data tells us about where AI fits in automotive customer service, and where it still has no business being.

• 34% Comfortable booking a service or MOT via AI
• 41% Would not use AI for any automotive task
• 37% Baby Boomers comfortable with AI bookings

Which automotive tasks are UK drivers comfortable using AI for?

We asked UK consumers which parts of an automotive-related enquiry, if any, they would be comfortable interacting with an AI system for. Respondents could select as many options as applied. Here is how the results broke down.

Automotive task comfortable using AI    

• Booking a service or MOT 34%  
• Booking a test drive 24%  
• Settling a bill 17%  
• Buying a car 10%  
• Selling a car 9%  
• None of the above 41%    

The pattern is clear. The more routine and transactional the task, the more comfortable people are letting AI handle it. The more the task involves negotiation, judgement or a significant financial decision, the more people want a human in the conversation.

It is also worth noting that 41% of drivers said they would not use AI for any part of an automotive enquiry. Comfort with AI in this sector is real, but it is not universal, and it is highly task-dependent.

Are younger drivers more comfortable with AI than older drivers?

No. The usual assumption in stories about AI adoption is that younger people are leading the charge and older generations are more resistant. Our data tells a different story for automotive bookings.

Generation omfortable booking via AI

• Baby Boomer Generation (61 to 79) 37%  
• Millennial Generation / Gen Y (29 to 44) 36%  
• Generation X (45 to 60) 33%  
• Generation Z (18 to 28) 27%    

Baby Boomers, not Gen Z, are the most comfortable generation when it comes to booking a service or MOT via AI. Millennials are close behind. Gen Z is actually the least comfortable of the four groups measured.

This makes more sense once you think about the task itself rather than the technology. Booking an MOT is not about being tech-savvy. It is about wanting a quick, hassle-free way to get something done, at any time of day, without waiting on hold. That appeals just as much, if not more, to a driver who has been booking MOTs for 30 years as it does to someone who grew up with a smartphone in their hand.

The lesson for automotive businesses is not to design AI experiences around age. It is to design them around the task, and to make sure the experience is genuinely quick and easy for everyone, regardless of how comfortable they are with technology in other parts of their life.

Why are service and MOT bookings the AI sweet spot?

Booking a service or MOT has three characteristics that make it well suited to AI handling:

• It is routine. There is a defined set of information needed (vehicle details, preferred date, contact details) and a defined outcome (a confirmed slot).
• It is time-bound. MOTs have a due date, and many bookings happen reactively, often outside a garage's core opening hours.
• It does not usually require negotiation or judgement. Unlike a part-exchange valuation or a finance query, there is rarely a need to weigh up options or read between the lines of what a customer wants.

These are exactly the conditions where a well-designed AI Receptionist, a system that answers calls and web enquiries automatically and hands anything more complex to a person, can add genuine value. It answers around the clock, checks availability, confirms bookings and updates the diary or CRM directly, without a customer ever having to wait for a callback.

Which automotive tasks do drivers trust AI with least?

Buying and selling a car are the two tasks drivers trust AI with least. Only 10% of drivers would be comfortable buying a car via AI, and just 9% would be comfortable selling one, a sharp drop from the 34% comfort level seen for routine bookings. The picture changes completely once money or a big decision enters the conversation.

This tracks with what we see across other sectors in this research. People are open to AI for practical, transactional tasks. They want a human involved as soon as a decision carries financial weight, emotional weight, or genuine complexity.

For dealerships, this is a helpful dividing line. AI can confidently own the booking and scheduling side of the business. Sales conversations, valuations and finance discussions still need a person who can listen, reassure and respond to what is actually being said, not just what is being asked.

What should dealerships and garages do with this data?

For automotive businesses managing high call volumes, this data points to a clear, low-risk starting point for AI adoption.

A practical starting point

✓ Use AI to handle service and MOT bookings first. It is the task drivers are already most comfortable with, and the one with the clearest, most repeatable process behind it.

✓ Cover the gaps your team cannot. Out-of-hours calls, lunchtime peaks and the weeks before MOT deadlines are exactly when call volumes spike and staff availability does not.

✓ Keep test drives, sales enquiries and part-exchange conversations with a person, or make sure AI hands over smoothly and quickly when a call moves in that direction.

✓ Do not assume older customers will resist AI. Design the experience to be fast and simple, and let the task, not the demographic, decide where AI sits.

Done well, this is not about replacing the people who make a dealership or garage feel trustworthy. It is about freeing them from routine scheduling so they can spend more time on the conversations that actually need a human touch.

Is AI ready for automotive booking and customer service?

Yes, for routine bookings. Over a third of UK drivers are already comfortable booking a service or MOT via AI, and that comfort spans every generation, not just the youngest. For automotive businesses, it is a strong signal that AI-handled bookings are no longer a hard sell to customers. The opportunity now is to put that comfort to work, using AI where it fits naturally, and keeping real people at the centre of every conversation that needs one.

Key takeaways

• 34% of UK drivers are comfortable booking a service or MOT via AI, the highest comfort level of any automotive task tested.
• 41% would not use AI for any part of an automotive enquiry, showing comfort is real but not universal.
• Comfort with AI drops sharply for buying (10%) and selling (9%) a car, where financial stakes are higher.
• Baby Boomers (37%) and Millennials (36%) are more comfortable than Gen Z (27%) when it comes to AI-handled bookings, challenging the assumption that AI comfort is purely generational.
• Routine, transactional, time-bound tasks are where AI adds the most value in automotive customer service today.

Frequently asked questions

• What percentage of UK drivers are comfortable booking a service or MOT using AI?

34% of UK drivers said they would be comfortable booking a service or MOT via an AI system, according to research commissioned by Moneypenny and conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 UK consumers in June 2026.

• Are younger drivers more comfortable using AI for car bookings than older drivers?

Not according to this research. Baby Boomers (37%) and Millennials (36%) were the most comfortable generations booking a service or MOT via AI, ahead of Generation X (33%) and Generation Z (27%).

• What automotive tasks are drivers least comfortable handing over to AI?

Buying a car (10%) and selling a car (9%) had the lowest comfort levels. Drivers consistently want a human involved in higher-value, higher-stakes decisions.

• Should dealerships and garages use AI for every customer enquiry?

No. The data suggests AI works best for routine, transactional tasks like bookings and scheduling. Sales conversations, valuations and finance enquiries are better handled by a person, or by AI with a fast, smooth handover to one.

• How can garages start introducing AI into their booking process?

A practical starting point is using an AI receptionist to handle service and MOT booking calls, particularly out of hours and during peak periods, while keeping test drives and sales enquiries with the team.