Everyone knows that owning a car can prove to be very expensive, although its usefulness can often outweigh the financial outlay. However there are ways to save money and one way is to make sure that your car doesn’t fail its MOT for something trivial. There are checks you can do to avoid having to re-test your car and thus saving you money.

First, you should check that all lights are fully functional; this may be difficult to do on your own so you may wish to ask a friend or family member to assist you. This includes checking the headlights, the brake lights and the aim of the headlights to see if it is correct. The people at the garage will also check the condition of the lights and that they are the correct colour, so these are things that you should look out for and correct if necessary, before carrying out the MOT.

This may seem trivial, but it is also important to check that the horn works. If you’ve been lucky enough not to have needed to use it for a while, it may have stopped functioning since the last time and you should give it a push to ensure that your car doesn’t fail its MOT for this reason. Another area that is tested is that of the mirrors, so ensure that they are fully functional and are in good condition.

In addition, you will need to check your washers and wipers. These are important to give the driver a clear view of the road ahead and they should be checked that they work; otherwise you could fail the MOT and have to be re-tested once they are fixed. Another area of the car that is tested is the doors, so if you know you have one door which is a bit faulty, it is best to have it looked at and fixed before paying for the MOT.

In terms of the fuel system, the fuel cap should be tightly fastened and there should be no leaks for obvious safety reasons. Additionally, you will need to check your windscreen for any chips or cracks. In the area in front of the driver a chip can not be any larger than 10mm by law and 40mm for any area that is covered by the wipers.

In addition, you should also pay attention to the car when you are driving to ensure that the brakes are working fine, the steering is responsive and that there are no other concerns you may have about the car. If there is any doubt, it may be worthwhile to have them checked out before going for your MOT. If anything were to fail, instead of paying the price for one MOT, it will be two.