Cheap MOTs Beat repair costs, use council tests

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

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.

RULE 1: 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 the authorities to chase.

RULE 2: Know when to go

You need a test when the car's three years old, then once a year after that. Timing is crucial though...

Get a test in the month before the current certificate ends and the new one will expire exactly a year from the original's end date. Yet get it tested more than a month before the MOT's due and it'll expire exactly a year later, meaning you lose out. To get a reminder six weeks before your test is due, use the Tart Alert tool.

RULE 3: 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 then to get the problems fixed you're allowed to go from the test station to a repair centre, again if it's pre-booked. However the vehicle still must meet a certain standard of roadworthiness otherwise you can be fined.

RULE 4: 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 £54.85 for cars or motor caravans and £29.65 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. Some of the fails you can sort yourself, others will need a professional; either way sorting it pre-test is usually cheaper...

"One in five fail MOTs due to a bust light bulb, so walk around and check your car's indicators & headlights front & back"

Ensure you beat the most frequent fails

Reason for failure	What % of MOTs failed (1)	Checks to do beforehand
Lights		Are all lights fully working? Have someone sit in the car while you walk around checking every light... front, rear, headlights and dipped, hazards and indicators. If any aren't working, buy a new bulb for a few quid and replace it (it's easy in most cars, though a few do make it more complex).
Suspension		Check suspension. While a full suspension check is difficult, to see if the shock absorbers have gone, quickly apply your weight to each corner of the car then release. It should quickly settle back... if not it's possibly a shock problem.
Brakes		Is there tension on the handbrake? Not easy to do yourself, and it will need a proper mechanic to fix. Yet if your brakes feel loose and unresponsive, or the handbrake simple slides up without resistence and can't be ratched at a set level, it's likely there's a problem.
Tyres		Check tyre pressure. To check tyre pressure, look up what they should be, and fill 'em up at a petrol station. Check tyre tread. This is the depth of grooves for road grip; the legal minimum's 1.6mm (enough to let surface water slip through). To measure, use the quick 20p tyre test detailed on the Tyre Safe website. In a nutshell, pop a 20p coin on its edge into the main grooves of the tyre tread. If the outer rim of the coin is hidden, your tyres are legal, but if you can see it, get them changed.
Windscreen		Is the driver's windscreen damaged? Damage in the driver's central view should be no larger than 10mm and in the whole of the swept area it should be no larger than 40mm. If it is get it fixed pre-test (often this is included by car insurance policies). Windscreen wipers? Front wipers are in the check and shouldn't have any splits; if they do replace pre-MOT.
Exhaust		Is the exhaust leaking? To check, start the engine (in a well ventilated place, at normal temperature) and from the rear of the car listen for any unusual noises or abnormal smoke. These indicate a leak, which you should fix pre-MOT.
Licence Plates		Can you read the licence plate? Make sure the licence plates are clean and easily legible from 20 metres away.
Fluids	-	Are all fluids topped up? Check the brake fluid, windscreen washer and oil reserves.
The Rest	-	An all-over once-over. Make sure the fuel cap is secure, mirrors are in good condition, and seatbelts etc are all fully functional.
(1) Source RAC & VOSA

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. Thus, what type of MOT you should opt for is largely dictated by your car's condition. Click the relevant button below for more info:

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 generally only carry out tests and don't do repairs, there's no incentive for mechanics to find faults that don't exist.

Centres we've visited tell us this guide had seen a fourfold increase in members of the public visiting. Better still, they 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 vast majority 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:

MOT Testing Discussion Area

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.

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, from VOSA online or its MOT enquiries phoneline, and VOSA will re-test your car. DirectGov has details on how to go about this.

Local council MOT test centre finder

Or... View test centres region-by-region

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.

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.

• Had repairs done at a test centre? Retests are free when...
  
  ...the repairs are done at the test centre and the vehicle's retested within ten days. If the repairs are done elsewhere it's free if returned to the test centre by the end of the next working day. However to qualify for this 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 (windscreen, glass & wipers not applicable to motorbikes and sidecars).
• Test done at a local council centre? Retests are up to half price when...
  
  ...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.