MOT time – Kwik Fit or Local Garage

Hello,

My car’s MOT is due at the end of the month and I need at least 1 x new tyre (plus tracking adjustment) to pass! I have had a look online for MOT + Tyre deals and it seems that Kwik Fit, ATS + National Tyres all have some sort of offer on for reasonable money. My car “should” be ok but I am no mechanic and cannot really tell!

I have always used a smaller local garage for MOTs in the past so what are these bigger places like? Honest and decent? Sometimes you hear things about these bigger places saying that they sometimes find extra work…..

The local garage will be more expensive and since I am not made of money cheaper is good but am a touch wary about using one of the above for anything but fitting tyres!

Can anyone enlighten me? Tell me I am being stupid and they are all fine places or tell me not to touch them with a barge pole?

Ta

RHid

I had a cheap offer price for an MOT at Kwik Fit, but it didnt include a free re-test so it wouldnt have worked out any cheaper anyway.

I find my local garage to be the most expensive so went to ‘in and out’ mot centre. dont know if they have themk nationwide but was very quick, good price and i only needed a new wiper blade.

Quick one for you! I had my transit serviced at main dealer and first mot was due at same time. It needed a new rear tyre (my fault running it at low pressure) and high level brake light not working. New tyre fitted, light apparently sorted and an advisory that the rear pads needing doing within 2 to 3 hundred miles! Pass received, ignore offer of pad replacent much to head mechanics disgust! Rear light fails again within a month and pads have got 100 miles left on them at next mot, 1 whole yr later done by local garage!! Oh and about 6000 miles!!!

I got to my local, because I know them and trust them. Doesn’t mean they’re soft btw, if there’s something genuinely not right that I’ve missed I want to know about it! Just means they’re straight.

Not to say kwik fit/similiar won’t be… But a good, trustworthy garage is worth keeping hold of.

Our local garage tried pulling a fast one…twice, we got out money back, but not without threat of legal action. All a bit embarrassing because everyone knows them as the trustworthy local garage.

Our local Kwik-Fit (chosen by the g/f against my wishes) has been brilliant MOTing three cars over four years. No complaints whatesover, but I imagine it depends who the manager is.

I’ve used my local Council for the last three years. They charge the ‘standard’ MOT rate (£54?). They’re not a business, don’t do repairs and aren’t allowed to recommend any garages, so I figure that there’s no/less financial incentive to fail my car.

+1 for your local council testing station for the above reasons. I’ve been using mine for the last ten years. They are always fair.

Got my car mot’d the other day by Hi-Q. They were doing £27 mot’s. Might still be on?

An MOT is a standard check and I will always go with the place that has them at the lowest price. If you know roughly what it MIGHT fail on or get an advisory for then it’s often better to get these done before the MOT as you’ll most like be forced into making a rash decision about getting it fixed/replaced.

im getting mine done at kwik fit as my brother works there. and it will get a full service at the same time

but it didnt include a free re-test

I thought that was a legal requirement of the test after a fail (within a week or something)

I’d entertain Kwik-e-mart for a tyre and MOT if they were doing some sort of deal I guess. Anything that required a degree of mechanical aptitude though, I’d take it to a garage. IME they’re good at tyres (so long as you’ve told them not to put the wheelnuts on with an SDS drill) and gormless otherwise.

Personally though, I’ve used the same local garage for years. I know and trust them, to a level where I’d call in for a chat if I was passing. Can’t imagine taking a car anywhere else unless I had to.

Hi rhid. Assuming you’re still in Bangor, then grosvenor garage in Menai was the best place I found there by a country mile. Mark

Are you in the neighbourhood then Mark? I heard you were spotted in Bangor! London Garage Cwm y Glo is where I have been using recently as its on the way to work! Get in touch and we can organise a meet up.

I have decided to get tyres for ATS and MOT done at the local garage. Spreading the wealth is best I think!

If you are concerned about keeping costs low, its always got to be an ‘Just MOTs’ place. Then if any faults do turn up, you know for definite that you are not being screwed, and can either fix it yourself or take it to a garage.

Also, if you think you need tracking adjustment, go to somewhere that does four wheel alignment. Its head and shoulders above a basic ‘tracking check’ you can come out of Kwik Fit with your front wheels perfectly aligned but oblivious to the fact the rear wheels are squiffy. I learnt the hard way, having scuffed the inside edges off both rear tyres in under 6000 miles, after a garage had told me nothing was wrong. (I had taken it in after buying the car as the handling felt nervous and it liked changing direction at the back)

Hi Rhid,

I know a few people who’ve used the one in Cwm – supposed to be very good and trustworthy. Probably makes sense to get the tyres sorted at a tyre place first though.

Will text you tomorrow about meeting. I’m here for 2 more weeks – would be great to catch up!

Cheers,

Mark