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MOT Cost Cutting discussion

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  • Hi can anyone recommend a good local garage in Harrow/Brent area. The one I used to use is closed and I have been getting ripped off with all I have tried in past 1.5 years.

    Thanks.
  • gord115
    gord115 Posts: 1,067 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    PW07 said:
    I have moved to the Sheffield / Rotherham can anybody recommend an MOT test centre
    White Lane Service Station at Gleadless. I have been going there with both my cars for 20 years. Never once have they unfairly found a fault. If it fails on something like a wiper or a bulb they will fit it free of charge and just charge for the parts.
    They are registered in the Good Garage Scheme
  • MSE_Kelvin
    MSE_Kelvin Posts: 375 MSE Staff
    Seventh Anniversary 10 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Oxford city council has an MOT centre that should be added to the list. The phone number is 00441865335400. The address is ODS
    Marsh Road
    Oxford
    OX4 2HH

    they have always been really good.
    Thanks for the heads up @MatthewHutton, have just added them to the guide as I'm updating it for this week's Money Tips email.

    Apreciate it's been aaaaages since you recommended them, but better late than never hopefully  :)
  • Whilst it is old, I wanted to add to this thread, as it is still linked from the Article on Cheap MOTs:

    If you can't find a council MOT place, try a smash repairer instead. Our local one has an MOT bay which is mainly used for MOTing cars that have been repaired (as this is a requirement of Cat S/N repairs). They don't do any mechanical work, so have no interest in failing stuff for the workshop to work on, and its rarely booked up because they don't advertise it as a service that they do.

    They do charge the full £54.99 fee, but last time I had one done was on our 'farm car' which is a 15 year old Diesel Avensis Estate with 205k miles on it: Initially it failed on a leak in the washer hose, too much smoke opacity (it is just pre DPF), and not quite meeting the brake efficiency threshold. The tester found a washer hose joiner in the bin from a car that had been repaired, and then ranted it around their car park in 1st, doing a few emergency stops to clear the exhaust and polish up the discs, and it went on to pass both other tests!

    Well worth the few extra quid as pretty much any repairs would make the car scrap.

    To be honest, it was a bit like how MOTs used to be in the old days before the Minor/Major/Dangerous categories when everything was 'black and white': Back then, if something was borderline, you would do your best to make sure it was the right side of the line (I was a testers mate for a few years 20+ years ago and back then we regularly used to give diesels a bottle of Redex and a quick blast up the dual carriageway to get them to pass the smoke test etc... at no extra charge).


  • quoia
    quoia Posts: 14,483 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Just had the car MOT done at PROTYRE Derby

    01332 290699
    36/37 Parker Centre, Mansfield Road, Derby, DE21 4SZ

    https://www.protyre.co.uk/garages/cts-wheels-and-tyres-derby-team-protyre

    I've been there now for the last 3 years running and can't fault them at all.
    It passed on all 3 occasions with just a couple of advisories that I was already expecting.
    The car is now over 13 years old and isn't exactly treated "with kid gloves"

    Always paid a discounted price - 2 years ago it was £25 having used a £5 online booking discount code
    Last year it was £35
    This year was just £19.95 using code WEBMOT10 (valid to 28th Feb 2025)
    It's only £29.95 normally anyway, but a further £10 off when booking online. (Full price is £54.85)

    They do add on a £2.50 "environmental charge" for the disposable items that they use during the MOT to protect the vehicle, namely seat, floor and steering wheel covers where required.

    They also did a very special deal on fitting 4 new tyres including balancing etc.
    I was always planning on getting them replaced about now - all down to about 3mm tread remaining - and had looked at local tyre fitters for what was available and the prices.

    After the MOT was done I returned the following day and asked if they could match the price of the cheapest place I had found and after a little time checking what was available to them they agreed.
    I ended up with better tyres than I would have bought at the other place, saving £73 on PROTYRE's online price for the same tyres

    A bargain deal with friendly helpful people
    There are 10 types of people in the world. ‹(•¿•)›
    ‹(•¿•)› Those that understand binary and those that do not!


    Veni, Vidi, VISA ! ................. I came, I saw, I PURCHASED
    (11)A104.28S94.98O112.46N86.73D101.02(12)J130.63F126.76M134.38A200.98M156.30J95.56J102.85A175.93
    S LOWER CASE OMEGA;6.59 so far ..
  • Nobbie1967
    Nobbie1967 Posts: 1,615 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Another shout for Protyre. In this case Wilmslow who had a similar deal with the price coming out under £30. 13 year old 107 passed first time with an advise for cracked rear tyres and rusty rear axle/suspension mounting points. I asked about the rust and he said to remove the loose stuff with a wire brush and protect with some under seal.
  • quoia
    quoia Posts: 14,483 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Another shout for Protyre. In this case Wilmslow who had a similar deal with the price coming out under £30. 13 year old 107 passed first time with an advise for cracked rear tyres and rusty rear axle/suspension mounting points. I asked about the rust and he said to remove the loose stuff with a wire brush and protect with some under seal.
    Hmmm! Strangely enough I was also talking about my other half's 13 year old Peugeot 107  :)
    There are 10 types of people in the world. ‹(•¿•)›
    ‹(•¿•)› Those that understand binary and those that do not!


    Veni, Vidi, VISA ! ................. I came, I saw, I PURCHASED
    (11)A104.28S94.98O112.46N86.73D101.02(12)J130.63F126.76M134.38A200.98M156.30J95.56J102.85A175.93
    S LOWER CASE OMEGA;6.59 so far ..
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