MOT garages in Preston

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Cars tested in the PR postcode area fail first time 27.6% of the time, against 28.2% nationally, which is in line with the rest of the country. Tyre tread below the legal minimum heads the local list, on 11.22% of failed tests, with a broken coil spring close behind. The figures come from 906,278 DVSA test records for the area.

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.

Tyres are an easy failure to avoid. Check the tread and look for cuts and bulges the week before the test, not on the forecourt. The pass rates for the whole country show the same pattern, and our advisory conversion table puts a number on how often a noted item fails the following year.

The £54.85 figure is a ceiling, not a price list. Preston 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 Preston

Demand peaks in March and bottoms out in April, a swing of roughly 65%. The peaks follow the March and September plate changes three years earlier, when new cars reach their first test.

Retests

If the car fails and you leave it at the station for repair, the retest is free. If you take it away, a partial retest within ten working days at the same station is free for a list of minor items such as lamps, wipers, mirrors, seatbelts and tyres, and charged at a reduced fee for anything else. After ten days it is a full test again.

Driving to the test without an MOT

The law allows one journey without a certificate: to a booked MOT, or to repairs arising from one. Keep the booking confirmation with you, and remember that insurance is still required and a dangerous defect still makes the car illegal to drive.