In the UK, cars must be checked each year for roadworthiness. This is known as an MOT test (MOT stands for Ministry of Transport). Any vehicle owner wishing to drive said vehicle on UK roads must have a valid MOT certificate. If stopped by the police, failure to prove that the car has a valid MOT certificate can result in legal proceedings. In America, the story is somewhat different – not just as whole, but the rules can change state by state, with some states requiring checks at the point of sale and some states running other ongoing inspection programs with different levels of intensity.
One of the major reasons for taking your car into the garage for repair is a road traffic accident. If this is the case, you may need a car accident attorney. Before you take your car into the garage, it’s important to perform some self-checks to make sure you know of any potential issues with your car. This will give you a chance to fix any minor problems without paying a mechanic, and could also help to avoid being ripped off (the mechanic cannot exaggerate where you already understand the problem).
Windscreen wipers and tire pressures
Windscreen wipers don’t last forever. They become worn and develop tears – this is an easy fix that you can perform yourself, without paying a professional for their time. Do you know the tread depth of your tires? Bald tires cause accidents. You should look to replace your tires as often as the manufacturer suggests. This could be as often as once per year, depending on usage (for example, people with hour-long commutes will need to change tires more regularly than people who simply use their car for weekend trips to the beach).
Engine oil
Oil changes can be expensive. Typically, if you take your car into the garage for any reason, a mechanic will call you to say that your oil doesn’t look like it’s been changed in a while, and that they can offer you a deal on an oil change using a unique and long lasting high-performance oil that you will struggle to find anywhere else. This isn’t necessarily a con, as such, but may not be as high a priority as the garage makes out. Learning to change or top up your car’s oil reserves is a time and money saver.