There are many costs associated with owning a car, one of them being the annual MOT test for vehicles that are 3 years old or more.  It is a legal requirement for your safety, that of your passengers and other road users, that you have a valid MOT on a vehicle that you are using.  If you do not have one then you would invalidate your car insurance which means you will be liable for any costs should you have an accident.  You're also at great risk of being fined £1000.  The standard MOT fee is £54.85 however there are many well known garages that often have discounts so you’ll never have to pay the full price again.  In fact there’s even a way to get it free!

Full price MOT £54.85 - get it for £35, £27.42, £19 or even FREE!!

We’ll start off with how you can get a free MOT.  If you shop at Tesco and have a Clubcard or use a Tesco Credit Card for any purchases you will be accumulating Clubcard points.  For every £5.00 worth of vouchers you earn you can exchange them for a £15 voucher at Halfords Autocentre to help towards the cost of your MOT test or even pay for it in full.  If you don’t have a means of earning Tesco Clubcard points there are other ways to get a discounted MOT.

Apart from the free MOT via Tesco Clubcard the next best offer I’ve found is at Mr Clutch.  Their MOTs start from only £19 at participating branches.  Have a look on their website and locate your nearest branch, check what they’re special offer is on MOTs and print the relevant voucher.  I’ve noticed there is no expiry date on the voucher so best check you can use it when you book your MOT.

Always keep an eye out for offers and vouchers to use against MOTs, sometimes magazines and newspapers print money-off vouchers, I’ve had a £20 off voucher before.  Another great offer that's available at the moment is MOTs for only £29.99 at Halfords Autocentre when you book and pay online, which is quite a saving.  Just print up your receipt to take with you on the day of your appointment.  Kwik-Fit is another well-known garage, they're currently offering MOTs at £30 when you book online.

AA Rewards members can get MOTs for £26 at their local National Tyres and Autocare centre.  All you need to do is book online and enter the code AAMOT26 at checkout.  You may be asked to present your AA membership card at your appointment.  If you’re not an AA member you can still get discounted MOTs at your local National Tyres and Autocare centre.  They currently have a special offer of £35 which you can get by printing off their voucher and presenting it upon payment.  Make sure you mention the voucher at time of booking to avoid disappointment.

If none of the above garages are conveniently located for you perhaps you have a Formula One Autocentre nearby.  They are currently offering half price MOTs at £27.42 if you book online. 

USEFUL TIP  It’s always worth booking your MOT test a month before the expiry date just in case you need work doing to pass.  When you get your new MOT certificate the expiry date will be a year from the expiry of your current certificate regardless of the fact your car passed it’s MOT a month before the expiry.  So no excuse to leave your MOT test till the last minute and risk not having a valid certificate.