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- This never impacts our editorial recommendations – if it's in, it's in there because we independently rate it best.
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Motoring deals
0 Current Deals
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All 750 locationsHalfords* is offering a free 10 point car health check at all of its 750 stores and garages across the UK in the run up to winter (find your nearest*). The 30-minute service normally costs £15 but will be totally free to all customers throughout October until store closing time on Mon 1 Nov. Simply book your car in online at Halfords* and choose your time slot.
What's covered by the Halfords free car check?
- Tyre depth
- Tyre inflation
- Windscreen chips
- Headlights
- Brake lights
- Battery health
- Wiper blades
- Screen-wash levels
- Oil level
- AdBlue & coolant
There's no obligation to buy anything or act on any advice you're given, these checks are completely free – though Halfords could try and upsell you throughout the process.
See our other Motoring and Transport deals.
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If you're off on a long car journey – and even if you're not – it could be worth getting your car checked over. Book online at Halfords* to get a free basic five-point car check at over 750 Halfords stores or Autocentres across the UK (find your nearest*, excludes locations with parking restrictions).
What's covered by the Halfords free car check?
- Battery health check
- Headlight and brake light check
- Wiper blades check
- Windscreen chip check
- MOT due date reminder
Important: Please be aware that the free screen wash top up and oil level check are no longer included in the free car check.
Halfords says it'll take about ten minutes. Be warned... it may try to sell to you, but there's no obligation to buy anything or act on any advice you're given. These checks are completely free.
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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.
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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.
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If you work for the NHS, you can get up to 40% off selected AA breakdown cover.
You'll get a 40% discount on 'Roadside Assistance', 'National Recovery', 'Onward Travel' or 'At Home'. The AA says a minimum of 20% off applies to all other levels of cover. For example, when we checked, you could get basic 'Roadside Assistance' cover for £35ish (norm £64ish).
You can get the discount when paying by a continuous payment method, either monthly or annually.
Always compare breakdown cover policies to ensure you're getting the best price, and to be certain you're covered for everything you need. See our full cheap breakdown cover guide.
See all deals: Motoring (7 deals) -
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JustPark is a service where you can find and reserve parking spaces at 45,000+ locations – including private driveways, spare offices spaces, commercial car parks etc. Up until 27 Jul, it had offered free parking to NHS workers, but that deal has now ended, and it's giving 10% off instead.
To get the discount, sign up at JustPark with your NHS email address (@nhs.co.uk), then search for a parking space near where you need to be. The discount will be applied automatically.
If you don't have an NHS email address, sign up in the same way and JustPark will send an email which you can reply to with proof that you're a critical care worker – JustPark will then update your account.
There is currently no end date for this offer.
See all deals: Motoring (7 deals) -
Green Flag is giving NHS workers (excluding volunteers) an extra 10% off new breakdown policies.
To get the discount, call it on 0345 246 2766 and tell it your NHS ID number. You can't get this offer online, though Green Flag says you'll be given its usual online discount (up to 40% off), plus the extra 10% off.
The discount excludes single trip or annual multi-trip European cover, and family cover policies. Green Flag says this offer is ongoing.
See all deals: Motoring (7 deals)
Latest Expired Deals
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IMPORTANT - THIS DEAL HAS EXPIRED
This deal has expired - you can't get it any more. We've kept it here for reference.
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Halfords free MOT with ANY spend, eg, £1 sponge or bucket
Make purchase by 19 April. Book by 21 May for MOT up to Nov 2021
ExpiredHalfords 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.
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Halfords FREE 10-point car check
For teachers, Armed Forces, NHS & emergency workers. At Autocentres & garages
ExpiredFor a limited time, Halfords* is making its 10-point car check (norm £15) FREE to all teachers, HSE, NHS and emergency workers and members of the Armed Forces, in Halfords Autocentres and garages (find your nearest*). The freebie's not available at Halfords retail stores but those groups can get the check for £13.50 there. We've asked Halfords when this offer ends and will update here once we know.
Remember: it's mandatory to wear a face covering in enclosed public spaces, and there may be special social distancing measures in place. With certain parts of the UK in national or regional lockdowns, you may want to check the latest Government information before heading out. See our Coronavirus Life-in-Lockdown guide for latest info.
You'll need to book online, then show your staff ID card, Blue Light card or a Defence Discount Service card when you arrive.
What's covered by the Halfords 10-point car check?
- Headlight & brake light check
- Wiper blade condition check
- Battery health check
- Windscreen chip check
- MOT due date reminder
- Tyre depth check
- Tyre inflation check & top up
- Oil level check
- Screen wash top up
- AdBlue & coolant check
Halfords says it'll take about 30 minutes. There's no obligation to buy anything or act on any advice you're given. These checks are completely free to the groups of workers named above.If you're not in one of the eligible jobs, you can still take advantage of the Halfords FREE winter car check – it's a five-point assessment that includes a brakes, headlight and battery health check.
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Use the Money Mantras
Before spending, use Martin’s Mantras. If you answer 'NO' to any, then don't buy!
Then ask:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
- Have you checked prices elsewhere?
Then ask:
- Will I use it?
- Is it worth it?
Free protection for all shopping!
There's a little-known piece of legislation that turns any credit card into a financial self-defence superhero. 'Section 75' of the Consumer Credit Act means your plastic must protect anything you buy for more than £100 for free, so if there's a problem or the company goes bust, you can still get your money back.
And although Section 75 doesn't apply to debit cards, there is something else to fall back on if you've paid using a debit card, or used a credit card for a purchase under £100. Known as Chargeback, this is part of banks' and card companies' internal rules and not a legal requirement. Read full details of Section 75 or Chargeback, plus how to claim, in our guides.
What the * means above
If a link has an * by it, that means it is an affiliated link and therefore it helps MoneySavingExpert stay free to use, as it is tracked to us. If you go through it, it can sometimes result in a payment or benefit to the site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.
You shouldn’t notice any difference and the link will never negatively impact the product. Plus the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by these links. We aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the top deal, it is still included in exactly the same way, just with a non-paying link. For more details, read How this site is financed.
Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com:
20 October 2021
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Martin's mortgage heads-up
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Breakdown cover for TWO £54/yr
Full service
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Beware Klarna's new 'pay now' service
You may lose vital protections
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17 Netflix hacks
Watch Squid Games etc for less
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Martin's scam ads broadside
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Ciate £148 of nail polish for £35
Via Advent calendar code
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John Lewis' £100 voucher is back
If you do BIG spends there
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Sky customers will soon be able to watch TV without a satellite with the new 'Sky Glass' service
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Budgeting app Yolt to close on Saturday 4 December – here's everything you need to know
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Hopes of a cash refund dashed for Ryanair and BA customers for flights impacted by Covid as regulator shuts down investigation
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The consumer watchdog has closed its investigation into whether Ryanair and British Airways broke the law by failing to offer cash refunds to passengers who couldn't legally travel due to Government Covid lockdown restrictions, meaning customers will be unable to get cash refunds.
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Five things EVERYONE should know about student finance
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Is it time to ban Christmas presents?
14 September 2021![]()
Update September 2017: It’s eight years since I first braved this subject, expecting a snowstorm of protest. Instead, year after year more join in, like Julia who recently tweeted me, “@MartinSLewis, finally took your advice and told my family I can’t afford Christmas presents. What a weight off my mind. Thank you.” One year even the Archbishop of...
Clever ways to calculate your finances
