The annual MoT test is a stressful time - will it pass or will you be faced with a big bill to get it through? But there's nothing worse than that feeling of stupidity when the phone call comes and it's failed for something you could have easily sorted at home.
So save yourself the hassle of a retest, as well as garage labour rates, by making these checks and performing some simple fixes.
01 Bulbs
There's little more frustrating than failing your MoT because of a blown bulb that costs a couple of quid to replace. Check all your car’s lights before heading to the MoT station - headlights, sidelights, rear lights, hazard lights and indicators.
Get a friend to help you with the rears (including the brake lights), or you can reverse up to a wall, garage door, window or similar reflective surface and check for yourself in the rear-view mirror.
02 Tyres
The minimum legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm so make sure that all of your tyres are comfortably over this or you could be facing a fail.
Get hold of a tread depth gauge - some tyre specialists give them away for free - and ideally change your tyres if they are under 3mm at any point. If you're unsure, head round to your friendly local garage.
03 Number plate
Another area you may forget about at MoT time is your vehicle identification. If your number plates are not clean and legible, a strict MoT centre will fail you, so give them a once-over with a damp cloth before you head off.
If you have a custom or personalised plate, make sure the typeface and spacing of letters and numbers comply with legal requirements.
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04 Seatbelts
Your car's seatbelts must all be in good, working order, so give them a tug to ensure they lock, and pull the reel out to its full extent to check for any severe wear or damage and to ensure that they don't stick at any point of the travel.
While you're in your seat, check the back stays upright and that the slider mechanism moves and locks as it should - and do the same for the passenger side.
05 Windscreen and wipers
Your car will fail its MoT if there are any cracks or chips larger than 40mm on any part of the windscreen, and in the driver's immediate field of vision that reduces to any damage larger than 10mm.
Also, make sure your wiper rubber is in good condition and the wiper motors function properly. And finally, don't forget to top up your windscreen washer fluid - believe it or not, if you're out of screenwash, that's a fail.