MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) has revealed a little-known 20p hack that could save drivers hundreds of pounds.
Many drivers will be thinking about booking their car for its MOT.
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But one reason cars might fail their MOT is because of the depth of their tyre tread.
However, MSE said there is a way to check themselves before taking their car in.
It said: “This (tyre head) is the depth of grooves for road grip.
“The legal minimum’s 1.6mm for a car tyre (enough to let surface water slip through).”
MSE encouraged drivers to purchase a 20p tyre test from the TyreSafe website to check.
“Pop a 20p coin on its edge into the main grooves of the tyre tread.
“If the outer rim of the coin is hidden, your tyres should be legal. If you can see it, get them checked.”
The maximum fee for an MOT retest is half of the original MOT test fee, although some garages will provide a partial MOT retest (where the vehicle is checked for the fault(s) on which it originally failed) free of charge.
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The maximum price for an MOT is £54.85, therefore the most a test centre can charge for a partial retest is £27.45.
If you then have to pay to replace your tyres, you could be paying between £25 and £70 per wheel.
That could be almost £280 for all four tyres.
The MoneySavingExpert team added that finding the “right test centre for you” was also an important choice in passing your MOT.
They wrote: “If your car’s in good shape and likely to pass, simply find the cheapest.
“If minor issues are likely to be found, ‘hidden’ council centres may win, with MoneySavers reporting that they’re fair and efficient, although they don’t do repairs.”
However, they added that if major issues are likely, you should do your research and find a garage you’re happy will do good work.
Last month, a Martin Lewis fan revealed how he slashed his car insurance by hundreds of pounds a year after following his tips.
It comes as car insurance costs are on the rise and some insurers have upped the average premium by 20%, according to MoneySavingExpert.com.
Writing into MoneySavingExpert.com, Krishna said: “I read lots of MSE testimonials saying how people halved their car insurance by using MSE’s Compare+ tool.
“I was a non-believer until my quote went down from £1,500 a month before my insurance expired to an unbelievable £650 21 days before expiry.
“Thanks for all the hard work behind MSE.”
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