Usually, if your car needs to go in for repairs, most of us would get several different quotes from local garages to find out who could do the job for the best price. MOT tests, however, are not allowed to exceed a certain price limit, therefore the price for an MOT test is unlikely to differ much from garage to garage.
The key to making your MOT as cheap as possible is preparation. If you get your car ready for its MOT then the whole process could cost you much less, especially if there is something which needs to be fixed.
Make sure your car passes first time
Often you can end up paying for a lot more than just the price of an MOT test. You may only be given a few days between tests in order to get any problems fixed, and this could cost you money to get them done quickly. Make sure that you are aware of when your MOT is due. If you have plenty of warning, you can start to think about any essential repairs that your car may need and get them done before the MOT is due.
If your car does fail its MOT, you will be given a period of time in which you have to make the necessary repairs. This time window could be quite short, and may not give you enough time to shop around for the best price. If you think about this well in advance of your MOT, you would be able to ask for different quotes and get the cheapest price to fix it in time for the test.
5 simple things to check
There are some really very simple reasons why a car may not be deemed road-safe and would therefore not pass its MOT. These reasons are often small things which you could have checked yourself beforehand but could end up costing you more money than necessary if your car fails because of them. Before you take any vehicle in for its MOT, check these 5 things:
- Windscreen – make sure that any chips have been repaired and that there are no cracks or discoloration.
- Tyre pressure and tread – putting air in your tyres will cost you 20p at a petrol station but if you fail your MOT because of low tyre pressure, you will have to pay so much more. Check the overall state of your tyres and if they do need changing then you will be able to get a much better deal if you start looking in plenty of time.
- Seat belts – make sure that there are no problems with any of the seat belts. If you know that one isn’t working properly then make sure you get it fixed before you put your car in for its MOT. This could save you from having to pay for the test again.
- Oil and fuel level – check that your oil is topped up and make sure that there are no warning lights on the dashboard.
- Handbrake – make sure that your handbrake is in full working condition. If there are any problems with it, ring around to see who can repair it for the best price before your MOT.
Free retest, but is it free?
If your car fails its MOT, you will need to get it retested before you can legally drive it on the road. Some garages will offer you a free retest if they are the ones who make the repairs to your car. They will, of course, charge you for the repairs and some mechanics will factor the price of a retest into the fee they charge you to fix the car. This could mean that you are not actually getting the best deal. Even if you only have a few days to get the repairs made on your car, you can still ring around several garages to get quotes from them. You may even be able to get one garage to match the price of a different one if there is a big discrepancy in the price.
Get quotes for Pre-MOT check and MOT test
By visiting Autobutler, you can find garages which offer MOTs near you. If you choose to have your vehicle repaired and MOT tested at the same garage, they should fix everything before testing your vehicle so that it passes first time. There is a chance that the garage might find more wrong with your car than was originally expected, in which case they could suggest that they carry out a pre-MOT check, and that you get someone else to repair and test the car.
Through Autobutler, users give ratings and reviews to each garage after their car has been repaired. Workshops will know if you booked your appointment through Autobutler, and you will therefore be treated as a VIP as they will want to make sure that they get a good review afterwards. On our website you will be able to view the best offers and to compare price, offers and ratings from other car owners, before you choose the best quote.
