Drivers are being urged to carry out some simple checks on their vehicles to avoid costly fixes down the road.
The warning comes as the number of ‘easily avoidable’ MOT failures has risen by 133,000 over the last four years, according to new figures.
This could mean drivers are less prepared when taking their cars to get tested compared to recent years and are losing millions as a result.
The statistics come from Go.Compare car insurance, which used a combination of survey data and official DVSA testing figures to estimate how many MOTs are needlessly failed.
The comparison site also found that around one in 10 motorists miss the window for a free retest when their car fails, meaning they have to pay for a second test.
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Based on the maximum MOT cost of £54.85, this means that the annual amount lost to avoidable retests might have increased by £770,000 over the last four years.
Go.Compare found that around 1.4 million failures were due to issues with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, while roughly 710,000 were because of problems with the vehicle’s tyres.
Another 461,000 failures came under the visibility category (i.e. the windscreen and wipers). Yet, each of these parts can easily be checked and rectified ahead of the MOT itself to prevent a failure.
Eric Smith, MOT scheme manager at Kwik Fit, which carries out the most MOTs in the country, says there are a few things that can catch out drivers when getting their car tested.
He said: “While the MOT is a vital annual safety check, drivers shouldn’t leave it up to the MOT tester to make sure their car is roadworthy.
“Many common MOT failure items are easy to spot at home, and we encourage car owners to not only carry out checks before their MOT, but to get into the habit of making them regularly throughout the year.
“That way, as well as avoiding an unnecessary MOT failure, drivers will be keeping their car safer all year round.
“In addition, if the car undergoes an annual service, many potential MOT failures would be picked up during that, saving drivers the hassle of an MOT failure and retesting.”
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Tom Banks, car insurance expert at Go.Compare, added: “Taking your car to get its MOT done can be a nerve-wracking experience, so it’s important that you prepare for it properly to avoid incurring any needless extra costs.
“Our research shows that millions are lost every year just because drivers fail to do a few simple checks before the test, so make sure you don’t make the same mistake.
“Check that all the bulbs are working properly and replace any that you need to, then measure the tyre pressure and take a look at the tread depth to see if it meets the minimum requirements.
“You should also look for damage to the car’s windscreen and wipers, before testing the washers. Remove any parking stickers, like those from festivals, from the windscreen too.
“Remember, your car won’t be road legal if it fails its MOT, meaning your insurance will become invalid as well. If it fails, you’ll need to get the issues rectified before you can drive it again.”
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