What to do
Should I service my car before the MOT?
A service before MOT catches the items that cause most failures: brakes, tyres, lights and visibility. What a service covers, what it cannot, and the order to book.
A service before MOT is usually worth it, because the most common MOT failure items are brakes, tyres, lights and visibility, and all four are inspected during a service. A service is not an MOT and does not replace one, but it means you find problems before a tester does, when fixing them is cheaper and less rushed.
| Service | From £199 + VAT at your address |
|---|---|
| MOT | Approved test station only, not mobile |
| Best gap | One to two weeks before the test |
| Most common failures | Lighting, brakes, tyres, visibility |
What to do
- Book the service a week or two before the test. That leaves time to act on anything found without a panic.
- Fix the advisories that are MOT items. Pad thickness, tread depth, bulbs, wipers and washer fluid are the usual suspects.
- Then book the MOT at a test station. MOT testing is legally restricted to approved test centres. We cannot do it and neither can any mobile operator.
What a service before MOT actually catches
- Brakes — pad and disc wear measured, so you know before a tester does
- Tyres — tread depth across the tread and uneven wear noted
- Lights — every bulb operated and checked, including brake and reverse
- Visibility — wiper blades, washer jets and screenwash
- Suspension and steering — play in joints, gaiters and bushes inspected
Those categories account for the large majority of MOT failures, and nearly all of them are cheap to put right when found early.
What a service will not do
It will not certify anything. An MOT is a legal roadworthiness test with a pass or fail, carried out at an approved station with calibrated equipment, and it includes emissions testing that a service does not replicate. Also worth knowing: an illuminated engine management light is an MOT failure on its own, so if yours is on, get it read first.
You can check your car's current MOT status and history free on the gov.uk MOT history service.
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Questions
Indirectly but significantly. The items that cause most failures, brakes, tyres, lights and visibility, are all inspected during a service, so you find them before the tester does.
No. MOT testing is legally restricted to approved test stations. No mobile operator can carry one out.
Before, by a week or two. That way anything found can be fixed without rushing.
The service you probably need
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Fixed price agreed before we come out, no membership and no call-out fee. Prices exclude VAT.
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