IF your M.O.T. is an S.O.B. that drives your car repair bills through the roof, then try "hidden" council-run MOT test centres.

They can RADICALLY reduce the chance of your motor failing and SLASH repair costs - yet hardly anyone has even heard of them!

We've all seen the brassy ads splashed everywhere that promise "MOTs for just £20".

But for many it is not the test fees but the fortune it can cost in apparently "must-do" repairs that make the nastiest dents in your wallet.

To slam the brake on these costs just follow these steps:

DO A HOME MOT TEST

NO joke - a staggering one in five (19 per cent) of cars fail MOTs thanks to a simple bust lightbulb!

To prevent this happening to you, just do a quick walk around the vehicle checking all the indicator lights, side lights, headlights and backlights - and if possible replace any bulbs before the test.

According to the RAC, there are also several other easy-fix common MOT faults that you could easily sort out yourself, including:

TYRES (13 per cent of fails): Nip to a petrol station to correctly inflate your tyres. Then check that tread grooves are at least 2mm thick - the same size as a 5p piece's tiny edge. If your treads are deeper, they are legal. If not, change the tyres pre-test.

WINDSCREENS (eight per cent): Check for cracks larger than a centimetre directly in the driver's view, or 4cm across the whole pane. It is often free to get them fixed on car insurance. Plus if your front wipers have any splits, replace 'em.

FLUIDS: Check brake fluid, windscreen wash and oil reserves.

THE REST: Ensure the fuel cap is secure, mirrors are in good condition, seatbelts are fully functional and licence plates are clean and easily legible from 20m.

PICK RIGHT TEST CENTRE

IF you have a good honest, local MOT test centre that always does you proud, stick with it. Some dodgy garages fail car parts that would pass elsewhere - just to drum up business. Deciding where to get your car tested depends on its condition - and while you won't definitely know, most drivers have an inkling where they stand.

PERFECT MOTOR? If you'd be staggered if any part of your car were failed just find the garage offering the cheapest test fee.

MARGINAL MOTOR? For cars in moderate-to-good condition that are likely to need a few minor repairs, council MOT test centres come into their own. But the test may cost you a few quid more and there's a chance of a retest fee.

BEAT-UP BANGER? The balance is between the convenience factor of a garage that does repairs versus fewer fails at a council MOT centre. So phone several reputable garages and ask for repair quotes first.

AND DON'T FORGET THE BASICS

YOU will need a test certificate when your motor's three years old, and once a year afterwards.

It is your responsibility to ensure the car certificate's valid, NOT the DVLA's to chase after you.

Get the test done in the month before it expires - the certificate lasts for a year after the old expiry date.

Do it earlier, and it is only a year from the test date.

When MOT certificates are already out of date, you're only allowed to drive it to a PRE-BOOKED test, and even then there must be a reasonable standard of road-worthiness.

Official maximum test costs are £54 for cars/motor caravans, and £29.20 for motorbikes.

If your car fails, provided it only has minor problems, re-tests are free within 10 days if repairs are done at the test centre. If repairs are done separately (e.g. after a council test) it's free if it's re-tested by the end of the next working day. If you get it fixed and back for re-testing within ten days it will cost half the fee. See www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapMOTs for full info.

To complain about an MOT, call the Vehicle and Operator Service's Agency (VOSA) on 0300 123 9000 or visit www.direct.gov.uk

Council-run centres

MANY local councils have test centres primarily for their own buses, ambulances and lorries.

Yet by law these MUST be open to the general public too. As they don't do repairs, there's NO incentive for them to unnecessarily fail your vehicle so, anecdotally, this massively cuts the rate of fails.

I have compiled a directory of more than 100 UK-wide council centres at www.moneysavingexpert.com/councilMOTs . Or telephone your local council.

But DON'T think these are swift 'n' shifty MOTs to pass cars on the sly - they are run by the book and that is the big benefit: you can be 100 per cent confident that if your car fails it's for safety reasons.

For example, one of my site users was given a £700 repair estimate after a local garage test. So he took it to his council centre where it passed without any repairs needed.

Then he went to Trading Standards, who had it independently tested - and it passed again as it was. He got a refund on the original test fee and COMPENSATION for his trouble.

TV Money Guru Martin Lewis is the creator of the Consumer Revenge website www.MoneySavingExpert.com which is packed with info on how to get more money in your pocket.

This article has 2 comments