Drivers pay for penny-pinching with MoT failures

Drivers' reluctance to pay for minor repairs is to blame for 540,000 MoT failures a year, research from RAC Auto Windscreens showed. Miserly motorists were unwilling to fork out for such small jobs as fixing their horn, repairing a chipped windscreen or replacing a fuel filler cap, the company found.

Some were even prepared to ignore major faults to save a bit of cash, with 10% not keen to repair the exhaust before an MoT test and 14% not fixing the steering wheel.

Adam Cracknell, of RAC Auto Windscreens, said: "The cost of motoring is steadily growing so it's understandable road users are trying to save where possible. Unfortunately, their efforts seem to have backfired.

"Being careful with money shouldn't stop motorists from paying for relatively minor repair costs such as badly chipped windscreens and jammed doors. If dealt with early on, these items needn't cost a lot and will certainly save a lot of headache and more money in the long run."