Cheap MOTs

It's not the test fee but repairing the "fails" that usually costs a fortune. Yet little known council run MOT centres don't do repairs, so there's no vested interest to fail you and thousands report a massive difference. This step by step cheap MOT guide includes a full list of over 100 UK council test centres.

• MOTs: the rules
• Do a DIY check for common problems
• Find a local council MOT test centre
• Full List: Council MOT Test Centres
• Area by area MOT centre discussions
• Retest Fees: If your car fails
• Other Articles/Discuss

MOTs: the rules

Originally called the 'Ministry of Transport' test, now it's just an MOT. Either way, it's a safety and legal must for cars, motorbikes or any other vehicle.

• It's your responsibility.

  The test information is held on a central database as well as on a paper certificate and it's the vehicle owner's responsibility to ensure their car's certificate is valid, not for them to chase.

• When you need an MOT.

  You need a test when the car's three years old, then once a year after that. Get a test the month before the current certificate ends and it'll expire exactly a year from that certificate's end date. Yet get it tested more than a month before the MOT's due and it'll simply expire exactly a year later.

• Always pre-book tests if your certificate's run out.

  If your car's out of certification, you can drive it to the test centre provided the test's been pre-booked. Plus, if it's failed the test to get the problems fixed, provided it's pre-booked you can take it to and from the test station to a repair centre. However there's still, obviously, a certain standard of roadworthiness the vehicle must meet otherwise you can be fined.

• MOT test costs are limited.

  Companies cannot charge what they like for an MOT, there's an official maximum. Many companies promote cheaper tests, not that surprising when you consider that often this guarantees they get the repair business too. The maximum test costs are £54 for cars or motor caravans and £29.20 for motorbikes. For a full list see the Direct Gov website.

Do a DIY check of avoidable fails

Thirty five percent of MOTs fail first time, and far too many are due to a simple avoidable reason. Don't worry, this is common sense not mechanical sense, after all. Some of the fails you can sort yourself, others will need a professional, either way getting it sorted pre-test is usually cheaper, after all...

For a full list of each check type for every vehicle, see the Direct Gov website.

Choose the right type of Test Centre

For cars with faults the MOT test fee is usually dwarfed by repair costs. While a cheap "MOTs just £20" promotion sounds good, it's irrelevant for those shelling out £1,500 to get problems fixed. Worse still, a few dodgy garages fail components that'd pass elsewhere to generate business. One answer is council run MOT test centres, which don't do repairs, so have no vested interest to fail more than is necessary. Yet they're not for everyone, the choice depends on how likely and how severe the repairs your car will need are. Of course there's no way to truly know this, but most drivers have a pretty good idea of the category they fit into.

• Is your car in tip-top condition?

  If your car is almost definitely in perfect condition and you'd be surprised if it failed anything, then simply find a local garage with the lowest possible MOT test fee.

• Is your car in moderate to good condition?

  If it's likely or possible that minor repairs may be needed, local council run centres come into their own. As there's no vested interest if anything fails, you can be 100% confident they're only for your own safety; and then you can go and get them fixed. See council run MOT centres below. It does mean there's a chance you'll have to pay a retest fee though.

• Is your car in poor condition?

  If you're pretty sure your car is going to need a substantial number of repairs, then there's a balance to be had. By going to a garage that does repairs you benefit from the convenience factor, and the fact there's no retest fee, but by using a council MOT there's a chance your car may fail on less points.

  Perhaps the best solution is to call up a range of reputable local garages with the likely problems and ask for quotes so you can see who'll be best value.

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Local Council MOT centres

Many local councils have their own MOT testing stations for council vehicles like buses or ambulances. By law these test centres (though not taxi or Crown stations) must be open to the general public, and as they only carry out tests, and don't do repairs, there's no incentive for mechanics to find faults that don't exist.

Having visited one of these centres, they told me that this guide had seen a four fold increase in members of he public visiting the centre. Better still, he said they were grateful as it secured their jobs in times of council cuts... good news as it means you're seen as a welcome customer not an annoying distraction.

Does it make a difference?

Thousands of savvy MoneySavers have used these test centres and the huge bulk report their cars either consistently passing the test or needing fewer repairs compared with MOTs done at other garages. Here are a couple of examples:

“My usual garage said to make it pass its MOT, repairs would cost almost £1,000. Following the article, I took it to the council test centre instead and it passed without any work needed.”

“After having gone to my local Alfa Romeo 'specialist' it quoted £300 for repairs and told me a full service would cost £600, even though my car isn't due a service for another 4,000 miles. I then went to the Wandsworth council test centre who passed it without fault! It did mean I spent another £45 for the test but well worth it since I didn't actually need any further repairs to pass the MOT.”

So while you may miss out on the special ‘cheap MOT testing' deal, the money saved in repairs should make up for it. Of course there are no guarantees. You may go to a local council test centre and be told repairs are needed, which is good, as it's for your safety and you should always want to know if your car has a problem.

Is it a safety compromise?

This isn't about getting a shoddy quick MOT that passes your car. Council run MOT centres are often some of the best out there, and they run the safety tests stringently.

Only get an MOT done where it shows this sign

One MoneySaver tells how, after being quoted £700 for MOT repairs from his local dealer, he took it to his council test centre where it passed without any need for repairs. He then reported the dealer to his local Trading Standards department, which had it re-tested; it passed with no need for repairs. So he wrote to the dealer requesting his test fee be returned for 'non-compliance with the Road Traffic Act' and got a refund.

If you're not satisfied with the way a test has been carried out get an appeal form, either from the garage in question or from VOSA's MOT enquiries phoneline and VOSA will re-test your car. DirectGov has details on how to go about this.

Local council MOT test centres list

The table below lists many of the council run centres. It's been compiled with the generous feedback of MoneySavers across the country using the discussion links below. As it's compiled by public feedback, do always check the details and the centre's MOT status before using it. Also it's worth making sure you book early as some council centres may already be booked up.

No centre in your area?

Check out the discussion links below the table, and if that doesn't work, try phoning your local county or borough council, or look on its website ( usually www.yourarea.gov.uk e.g. www.dudley.gov.uk). The council should be able to tell you your nearest one. If you find it please let us know via the discussion links.

MOT Test Centres - including Contact Details

	Address	Contact Details
Aberdeenshire	Powis Terrace, Kittybrewster, Aberdeen	01224 489324 / 01224 489413
Aberdeenshire	Inverurie	01467 627538
Aberdeenshire	Mintlaw	01771 623197
Aberdeenshire	Stonehaven	01569 763274
Angus	Dundee Contract Services, 353 Clepington Road, Dundee	01382 434773
Bedfordshire	County Council Vehicle Depot, London Rd Bedford	08453 656150
Bedfordshire	Fleet Transport, Central Depot, Kingsway, Luton, Beds, LU4 8AU	01582 546839
Bristol	Sandy Park Rd , Brislington, Bristol	01179 036319
Bristol	Broad Lane, Engine Common, Yate, Bristol BS37 7PN	01454 863920
Buckinghamshire	Synergy Park, Chesney Wold, Bleak Hall, Milton Keynes, MK6 1LY	01908 252845
Cambridgeshire	City Services Transport Depot, Mill Rd, Cambridge, CB1 2AZ	01223 458266 01223 458264
Cambridgeshire	Peterborough City Council Depot, Nursery Lane, Fengate, Peterborough, PE1 5BG	01733 425419
Cardiff	Clair Road, Cardiff	02920 343581
Carmarthenshire	Trostre Depot, Trostre Road, LLanelli, SA14 9RA	01554 784 138
Ceredigion	Glanyrafon Ind Est, Llanbadam Aberysthwyth, Cerdigion	01970 636713
Cheshire	Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington WA4 6PT	01925 634296
Cheshire	Direct Services, Pyms Lane, Crewe & Nantwich	01270 537777
Cheshire	Lowerhouse Lane Depot, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7AW	tbc
Cheshire	Ellesmere Port & Neston, Rossfield Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH6 3AW	0151 356 6548
Cheshire	Newby Road Industrial Estate, Hazel Grove, Stockport, SK7 5DA	0161 482 7235
Cornwall	Cornwall Transport Organisation Engineering, Cornwall County Council Workshops, Bodmin	01872 327827
Cornwall	Cornwall Transport Organisation Engineering, Cornwall County Council Workshops, Scorrier	01872 327335
County Durham	Service Direct depot, St Johns Road, Meadowfield Industrial Estate, Durham, DH7 8XQ	01913 862714
County Durham	Local Environmental Services Central Depot, Park Road, Gateshead, NE8 3HN	01914 337433
County Durham	Cowpen Lane Depot, Cowpen Lane, Billingham, Stockton-on-tees, TS23 4DD	01642 527167
Cumbria	Rome Street, Bousteads Grassing, Carlisle	tbc
Denbyshire	Fleet Management & Vehicle Maintenance, Expressway Business Park, Abergele Road, Bodelwyddan, LL18 5SQ	01745 839230
Derbyshire	County Transport, Ripley Rd, Ambergate	01773 856667
Derbyshire	County Transport, Brimington Rd North, Chesterfield	01246 450705
Derbyshire	County Transport, Halstead Garage, Buxton	01298 813141
Devon	Ivybridge MOT Centre, Blachford Road, Ivybridge PL21 0AE	01752 698835
Devon	Aspen Way, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 7QR	01803 402 966
Dorset	Wanchard Lane, DT2 9RP	01305 228132
Edinburgh	CEC Fleet Services, Gorgie, Russel Rd	01313 372307
Essex	Langston Road, Epping Forest, IG10 3UE	0208 532 0357
Essex	Rainham Road North, Barking & Dagenham, RM10	02082 272614
Essex	Vehicle Servicing, Westside Centre, London Rd , Stanway, Colchester	01206 282624
Fife	Fleet Services, Denburn Yrd, KY1 2HD	01592 551199 (switchboard)
Glasgow	MOT Inspection Centre, 73 Hawthorn Street	01412 87 3326/3328
Gloucestershire	Swindon Rd Depot, Cheltenham	01242 264184
Hampshire	Albert Rd North (City Council), Southampton	02380 834362
Hampshire	Eastleigh Borough Council,Hedge End Depot, Botley Road, Hedge End, SO30 2RA	02380 688389
Kent	The Forstal, Beddow Way, Kent, ME20 7BT	01622 605 800
Kent	County Workshops, The Forstal, Forstal Road, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7HB	01622 605800
Lanarkshire	Old Edinburgh Rd, Bellshill, ML4 3JF	01698 506284
Lancashire	Operational Services Depot, Moorhey Street, Oldham	0161 770 4446
Lancashire	Hindley Depot, Wigan	01942 705122
Lancashire	Hardshaw Brook Depot, Parr Street, St Helens, Merseyside	01744 456757
Lancashire	Stretton Way Depot, Huyton Industrial Estate, Knowsley, L36 6JF	0151 443 2816
Lancashire	Dewhurst Row, Holme Road, Bamber Bridge, PR5 6BB	01772 620 933
Lancashire	Layton Depot, Plymouth Road, Blackpool, FY3 7HW	01253 476291
Lancashire	Transport Services & Vehicle Workshop, Bradley Fold Depot, Bradley Fold Trading Estate, Bradley Fold Road, Bolton, BL2 6RS	01612 536699 / 0161 253 6662
Leicestershire	84 Syston Street East, Cobden Industrial Estate, Leicester, LE1 2JW	01162 519185
London	Mill Hill Depot, Barnet, London	0208 3595103
London	Tower Hamlets Vehicle Workshop, Silvocea Way, Blackwall, London, UK, E14 0JJ	02073 641069
London	Rutlish Auto Care Centre, 144 Kingston Road, Merton, London, SW19 1LY	02085 423269
London	1 Dormay Street, Frogmore Complex, Wandsworth, London, SW18 1EY	0208 8716761
London	Fleet Management, Birchmere Depot, Birchmere Business Site, Eastern Way, Thamesmead, Greenwich, London, SE28 8BF	02089 214561
London	Bridge Rd Depot, Pears Rd, Hounslow, TW3 1SQ	02085 835430
Midlothian	80b High Street, Bonnyrigg	01316 603486
Northumberland	Newington Road, Shieldfield, Newcastle upon Tyne	01912 783867
Northumberland	Northumberland County Council, Morpeth	01670 510153
Nottinghamshire	Eastcroft Depot, London Road, Nottingham, NG2 3AH	0115 9152008
Nottinghamshire	Rolleston Drive Workshops, Arnold, Nottingham	01159 567420
Oxfordshire	Transport Services Division, Cowley Marsh Depot, Marsh Road, Oxford, OX4 2HH	01865 252900
Oxfordshire	Thorpe Lane Depot, Banbury, OX16 4UT	01295 221916.
Pembrokeshire	Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, SA73 2RR	01437 764 551 ext 5938
Pembrokshire	Unit 28, Thornton, Industrial Estate, Pembrokshire, SA73 2RR	01437 775 440
Powys	Ffrwdgrech DSO Depot, Ffrwdgrech Industrial Estate, Brecon, Powys, LD3 8DR	01597 826000 (ask for Vehicle Maintenance workshops in Brecon)
Redcar & Cleveland	Limerick Rd, Dormanstown	01642 444979
South Ayshire	McCalls Avenure, AYR	01292 267802
Staffordshire	Beacon Business Park, Weston Road, Stafford	01785 854832 / 01785 854833
Staffordshire	Northwood, Stoke On Trent	01782 232297
Suffolk	Lodge Lane, Great Blackenham, Nr Ipswich	01473 588600
Suffolk	Rougham, Industrial Estate, Bury St Edmunds	01359 270777
Suffolk	Blythe Rd Industrial Estate, Halesworth	01984 874427
Surrey	Factory Lane, Croydon	02082 552758
Surrey	Woking Road, Guildford	01483 445091
Sussex	Colas	01273 815850
Sussex	Accord, Broadbridge Heath Depot, Worthing Rd, Horsham	01403 211246
Sussex	Eastbourne Buses, Birch Road, Eastbourne	01323 418077
Tyneside	S. Tyneside Council, Middlefields, Heddon Way, Tyne Dock, South Shields, NE34 0NT	0191 427 2024
Warwickshire	County Fleet Maintenance, Unit 6, Coleshill Depot, Coleshill Hth Road, Coleshill, B46 3HL	01675 464888
Warwickshire	St. Marys Road Depot, St. Marys Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 5AR	024 7637 6031 ext. 6031
West Dunbartonshire	Richmond Street, Clydebank	01389 738741
West Lothian	tbc	01506 775000
West Midlands	Montague Street, Bordesley, Birmingham, B9 4BA	0121 303 3311
West Midlands	259 London Rd, Coventry, CV3 4AR	02476 832147
West Midlands	Fleet Services Public Works Depot, Norfolk Place, Bloxwich Road, Walsall, WS2 7BA	01922 653716
West Sussex	Arun Works Service, Arun District Council, Station Road, East Preston, West Sussex, BN16 3AA	01903 737829
Wiltshire	Calne Test Station	01249 812351
Wiltshire	VOSA Test Station, Wiltshire County Council, Devizes	01380 725854
Wiltshire (by 2012)	The MOT Centre, Audley Road, Chippenham	tbc
Worcestershire	Six Ways Depot, Worcester	01905 753000
Yorkshire	Shearbridge Depot, Shearbridge Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1PU	01274 431000
Yorkshire	Cargo Fleet Lane, Middlesborough	01642 264586
Yorkshire	Amos Fleet, Battinson Rd, Halifax	01422 355419
Yorkshire	Vine Street, Huddersfield, Kirklees, West Yorkshire HD1 6NT	01484 223 127
Yorkshire	Staveley House, Stockholm Road, Hull, HU7 0XW	tbc
Yorkshire	225a York Road, Leeds, LS9 7QQ	01132 143161
Yorkshire	Claro Rd, Harrogate	01423 556877
Yorkshire	Kirklees Council, George St, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire	tbc
Yorkshire	Newton Bar Depot, Wakefield	01924 306431
Yorkshire	East Riding of Yorkshire Council Beverley Depot, Annie Reed Road Beverley, HU17 0LF
Yorkshire	Vehicle & Plant, North Bridge Doncaster, DN5 9AN	01302 736851
Yorkshire	Barnsley MBC Fleet Services, Smithies Lane Depot, Smithies Lane, Smithies, Barnsley, S711NL	01226 774194

It's not just council run MOT centres.

Quite a few private garages also only do MOTs and not repairs, and the same logic should apply. It should also be said there are of course many garages that do MOTs and repairs completely honestly and fairly and if you use one that's great.

Yet, if you're new to MOTs or not happy with what you get, then this is an alternative route. You can also check your local council's website to see if it has a list of vetted garages.

Area by area MOT centre discussion...

The following list will enable you to discuss, feedback and suggest new MOT test centres in your area.

Retest Fees: If your car fails

If your vehicle does fail its MOT, then once the repairs have been completed it needs to be retested. These can either free or discounted depending on where you had your vehicle tested in the first place.

• Repairs done at the test centre? Retests are free when...

  The retest is free if the repairs are done at the test centre and the vehicle's retested within ten days. It's also free if the repairs are done elsewhere and it's returned to the test centre by the end of the next working day. However to qualify for this partial re-test all the failure points must be on the following list:

  Bonnet, boot lid, brake pedal anti-slip, direction indicators, doors, dropsides, fuel filler cap, hazard warning, horn, lamps, loading door, mirrors, rear reflectors, registration plates, seatbelts (but not anchorages), seats, sharp edges or projections, steering wheel, tailboard, tailgate, vehicle identification number (VIN), windscreen and glass, windscreen wipers/washers, wheels and tyres (though these last two are not applicable to motorbikes and sidecars).

  One point of note though. While a vehicle may be taken away from the original test centre for repairs this doesn't apply if the problem is a dangerous one such as defective brakes.

• Test done at a local council centre? Retests are up to half price when...

  The re-tester can only charge up to half the price of the normal fee if the repairs are done elsewhere provided the vehicle's brought back to the original test centre for a partial retest within ten working days.

  This applies to any test centre, but is primarily relevant in the case of local test centres. One partial re-test is permitted per full test carried out.

• All other cases. It's a full fee test...

In all other circumstances the retest fee is the same maximum rate as the full test.