How to Save Money on Your MOT and Car Maintenance
Why Your MOT and Car Servicing Costs Keep Rising
If you own a car in the UK, the annual MOT is a non-negotiable expense. With the average MOT costing around £54.85 (the maximum legal fee) and typical servicing bills running into hundreds of pounds, keeping a car on the road can feel like a never-ending drain on your wallet. But there are plenty of ways to cut these costs without cutting corners on safety.
The key is knowing what you can do yourself, where to find the best deals, and how to avoid the common traps that leave drivers paying over the odds. Let’s break it down step by step.
1. Never Pay Full Price for Your MOT
The maximum fee a garage can legally charge for an MOT is £54.85, but many councils and independent garages offer it for far less. Some even run promotional deals where the MOT is free if you book a service at the same time.
Council MOT Test Centres
Many people do not know that local council MOT test centres exist. These centres primarily test council vehicles like buses and bin lorries, but they are legally required to open to the public too. Because they do not carry out repairs, they have no incentive to find problems that do not genuinely exist. You only pay for the test itself, often at a lower price than commercial garages.
To find your nearest council MOT centre, search for “council MOT test centre” followed by your local authority name on the GOV.UK finder.
Supermarket and High Street Deals
National chains like Kwik Fit, Halfords, and National Tyres regularly run MOT offers. Common deals include:
- Half-price MOT when booked with a full service
- MOT for £25-£30 during off-peak periods
- Free MOT retest within 10 working days if your car fails
Check the latest offers on deal pages like our Halfords deals and Kwik Fit deals before booking.
2. Do These 5 Simple Checks Before Your MOT
Around 30% of MOT failures are for things you can check and fix yourself in under 10 minutes. Failing for a blown bulb or empty washer fluid is a waste of money and easily avoidable.
Pre-MOT Checklist
- Check all lights: Headlights, indicators, brake lights, reversing light and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs yourself for a few pounds rather than paying garage labour rates.
- Top up screen wash: A £2 bottle of screen wash is all you need. An empty reservoir is an instant fail.
- Check tyre tread: The legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread. Use the 20p coin test: insert a 20p into the tread grooves. If you can see the outer band of the coin, your tyres may be illegal.
- Check tyre pressure: Underinflated or overinflated tyres can cause a fail. Check your pressures at a supermarket petrol station for 50p-£1.
- Clear the clutter: Remove unnecessary items from the boot and cabin. Excessive weight can affect the car and a cluttered boot can prevent the tester from accessing rear seatbelts.
3. Choose the Right Garage for Servicing
Main dealers charge premium rates, often £100-£150 per hour for labour. Independent garages typically charge £40-£70 per hour, while fast-fit chains sit somewhere in between. For most cars over three years old, an independent garage will do the job just as well for a fraction of the cost.
How to Find a Trustworthy Independent Garage
- Look for garages that are members of the Good Garage Scheme or Trust My Garage network
- Check Google and Trustpilot reviews. A garage with hundreds of reviews and a 4.5+ rating is a good sign
- Ask friends and family for recommendations. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to find a reliable mechanic
- Get at least two quotes for any major work. Prices can vary by hundreds of pounds between garages
4. Learn Basic Maintenance Yourself
You do not need to be a mechanic to handle some of the most common maintenance tasks. Doing these yourself can save you £50-£100 a year in labour charges alone.
Jobs You Can Do at Home
- Oil and filter change: A straightforward job that takes 20-30 minutes. Buy the correct grade oil and filter for around £25-£35 compared to £60-£90 at a garage.
- Replacing wiper blades: Most blades simply clip on. A pair costs £10-£20 and takes 5 minutes to fit.
- Replacing air filter: Usually just a few clips or screws. A new filter costs £10-£20 compared to £25-£40 fitted.
- Topping up coolant and oil: Check levels monthly. A litre of coolant costs around £5 and a litre of oil around £8-£12.
- Replacing battery: Modern batteries are straightforward to swap. Buy online for £50-£90 rather than paying £100-£150 at a garage.
YouTube is packed with step-by-step tutorials for virtually every car model. Channels like ChrisFix and Car Throttle cover everything from basic maintenance to more involved repairs.
5. Buy Parts Online and Bring Them to the Garage
If you are not confident fitting parts yourself, you can still save money by buying parts online and asking your garage to fit them. Many independent garages are happy to do this, though some may charge a slightly higher fitting fee since they are not making margin on the parts.
Popular sites for cheap car parts include:
- Euro Car Parts – frequent discount codes and click-and-collect
- GSF Car Parts – competitive prices and wide range
- Amazon and eBay – genuine OEM parts often cheaper than main dealers
- CarParts4Less – clearance and bulk deals
Always check that the parts are compatible with your exact make, model, and year before ordering.
6. Don’t Skip the Service to Save Money
It might seem counterintuitive, but skipping your annual service to save £100-£200 can end up costing you far more in the long run. A serviced car is more fuel-efficient, less likely to break down, and more likely to pass its MOT first time.
During a service, a mechanic will spot worn components before they fail. Replacing a brake pad that is wearing thin costs £30-£60. Replacing it after it has damaged the brake disc costs £150-£300. Preventative maintenance is always cheaper than reactive repairs.
7. Consider a Service Plan
If you drive a newer car, a manufacturer service plan can spread the cost of servicing across the year. These plans typically cover one or two services per year and are paid monthly, often interest-free.
The advantage is budgeting: you know exactly what you will pay each month with no surprise bills. Compare the total cost of the plan against paying for services individually to make sure it represents good value.
8. Check Your Car Insurance for Breakdown Cover
Many drivers pay separately for breakdown cover when it is already included in their car insurance policy. Check your policy documents before renewing any standalone breakdown cover.
If you do need standalone cover, compare prices on comparison sites rather than auto-renewing with the same provider. Prices can vary by as much as £80 per year for identical cover levels.
The Bottom Line
Saving money on your MOT and car maintenance is not about cutting corners or ignoring problems. It is about being informed, doing what you can yourself, and shopping around for the best prices on everything else. By following the tips above, you could realistically save £150-£300 per year on car costs without compromising on safety or reliability.
For more ways to cut your motoring costs, check out our guide to saving money on petrol and browse the latest Halfords discounts and Euro Car Parts offers on our deal pages.
