How to choose a garage in Lancashire
Know when the MOT is due
A car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, then one every year by the anniversary of the last. You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving without a valid MOT. GOV.UK's free MOT history service shows when the next test is due, the result of past tests and the mileage recorded at each one, and you can sign up there for a free reminder by text or email a month before it is due.
Pick an approved MOT centre
Only centres showing the blue sign with three white triangles can carry out an MOT. DVSA sets a maximum fee: £54.85 for a car and £58.60 for a van between 3,000 and 3,500 kg (November 2026). Each listing shows whether the garage is an approved MOT centre and which vehicles it tests. The test does not cover the condition of the engine, clutch or gearbox, so a pass is not a full service.
If the car fails
A car fails if the result lists dangerous or major problems. You can drive it away only if the current MOT is still valid and nothing dangerous was found; driving with a dangerous problem can mean a fine of up to £2,500, a ban and three points. If you leave the car at the same centre for repair and it is retested within 10 working days, the partial retest is free. Take it away and bring it back within 10 working days and you can be charged a partial retest fee.
Get the price agreed before the work
The law says a garage must do the work with reasonable care and skill. If no price was agreed, you only have to pay a reasonable one, and if no time was agreed, the work must be done within a reasonable time. Citizens Advice points out that a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a best guess, so ask for a quote in writing. If you are unhappy, talk to the garage first, then put it in writing.
Servicing and your warranty
Competition guidance from the CMA says manufacturers should not normally make a warranty depend on using their own dealer network for routine servicing. Check the terms of your own warranty, and keep the receipts and service record from whichever garage does the work. Electric and hybrid cars need an MOT on the same rules as other cars, and many garages now say they work on them: each listing shows whether a garage's own website says so.