Motoring deals

Halfords is offering a free MOT* (normally £39.85) at its 350+ Autocentres across the UK when you buy anything from a Halfords retail store or online by Mon 19 Apr.

You'll need to book your free MOT by Fri 21 May, but the MOT can be carried out up to Nov 2021, so even if your MOT isn't due for a few months, you can still take advantage.

With any MOT, before you go, read our checklist of the most common MOT failures and how to beat them. Also, see how to get a free annual MOT reminder.

The cheapest items we found at Halfords were a £1 sponge* or £1 bucket* – so you could spend as little as £1 to qualify for a free MOT. Delivery's £3.99 if ordering online, or you can click and collect for free.

How to get the 'free' MOT

• When you make any purchase either online or in store, you'll receive an email voucher within seven working days. 
• You can only book your 'free' MOT online – visit this Halfords Autocentre MOT page by 11.59pm on Fri 21 May and add an MOT (or combined MOT & service) to your basket. Enter your voucher code during the checkout process.
  

The MOT itself can be carried out until 21 Nov 2021, depending on availability at your nearest Autocentre.

Halfords has said there's no limit to the number of people who can claim the offer, and you can get multiple vouchers if you do multiple purchases – so if you've two cars, just make two separate purchases. If you return your purchase, Halfords says this will invalidate your free MOT offer.

Are Halfords MOTs any good?

Like any nationwide chain, there's good and bad feedback, but at least as Halfords is a big chain, it gives you more avenues if something goes wrong.

Where there are complaints about MOTs in general, they tend to be around whether garages try to push their own repairs. But if your vehicle has a dangerous fault, by law, you won't be allowed to drive it away and will have to have it repaired at the specific garage, or towed elsewhere – see MOT rules.

If unsure about using any garage, it can be safest to go to a council test centre, as they generally don't do repairs so there's little vested interest to fail you in the hope you'll spend.

See £19.71 Kwik Fit MOT if that's a better option for you. 

Driving lessons have now restarted in England and Wales, with Scotland and Northern Ireland expected to resume in the coming weeks. If you're learning to drive OR you're an experienced driver and want to test your knowledge, you can take a free mock driving theory test online via the DVSA.

There are two separate mock tests for car drivers and two for motorcyclists. Each sample test has 50 multiple-choice questions, the same number you'd need to answer in the real test – so you've only got to do one mock test to mimic the real thing, but you can do a second one if you want more practice.

There are also mock tests for lorry drivers and bus/coach drivers – they each comprise 50 questions too, but the actual tests have 100 questions each, so you might want to try two mock tests for good measure.

You can take any of the practice tests as many times as you like, but each one can take up to an hour to complete. There's also a free practice hazard perception test where you can watch up to three videos (the real test has 14) with the aim of spotting developing hazards.

These mock tests are only for practice or fun – you still need to take the real one – but they're definitely worth a go, and may save you money by giving you that extra practice to help you pass first time and not need a retest of the real thing. There are many paid-for apps offering similar ways to practise, but not all of them are official like this one.

Want more MoneySaving motoring tips? See our guides on 50+ Ways To Cut Driving Costs, Cheap Car Insurance, Cheap Breakdown Cover, and Cheap Petrol & Diesel.

You can request a free annual email or text reminder before your MOT's due - simply visit the government's site and sign up for reminders. You'll need to give an email or phone number and the reg of a vehicle registered in England, Wales or Scotland (in Northern Ireland you get a postal reminder seven weeks before your MOT's due).

You'll need to activate the reminder via a link you'll be emailed after signing up. You'll get reminders a month before your MOT's due, and two weeks later if you've still not done it.

With fines of up to £1,000 for not having a valid MOT, forgetting could prove costly, so this free reminder should be a no-brainer for anyone who has a tendency to forget things.

You can unsubscribe from the reminders at any time from the confirmation or reminder email, but they won't automatically stop if you sell the vehicle or declare it off-road.

Want to drive down MOT costs? See our guide on Cheap Council MOTs and for other tips to cut the cost of owning a set of wheels, see our of 50+ Motoring MoneySavers checklist.