MOT stations in Bolton

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Of every hundred cars presented for an MOT in the BL area, about 26 fail. Nationally the figure is 28, so Bolton and its surroundings are doing better than most of Britain. The most common defect on failed tests here is tyre tread below the legal minimum, which runs 35% above the national rate for that defect. Based on 744,384 tests recorded by DVSA.

Bars show how often each defect appears on failed tests in this area. The figure in italics is the difference from the national rate for that defect.

Tread is the one item a driver can check at home with a 20p coin: if the outer band of the coin shows above the tread, the tyre is close to the 1.6mm limit. The UK-wide failure figures show the same pattern, and our guide to MOT advisories puts a number on how often a noted item fails the following year.

The £54.85 figure is a ceiling, not a price list. Bolton garages compete on the test fee because they hope to do the repairs, so the test itself is often £30 to £45. You are under no obligation to have failures fixed where the car was tested.

When to book in Bolton

March is the busiest month for MOTs in the BL area, with about 57% more tests than December. If your test falls in a busy month, book two to three weeks ahead; in a quiet one, most stations can fit you in within days.

Retests

A failed car left at the garage for repair gets a free retest. Take it away and bring it back within ten working days and the retest is free for the common small items (bulbs, wipers, tyres, mirrors, seatbelts) and half price at most for the rest. Miss the ten days and you pay for a full test.

Driving to the test without an MOT

You can drive to a pre-booked test with no MOT, and to a garage for repairs found at the test. That is the only situation where driving without one is legal, and the car must still be roadworthy and insured.