Why you should keep your car in good shape despite the Coronavirus MOT extension

The Coronavirus MOT extension could help spread costs over a difficult time, but is that a good idea?

As the government announced that upcoming MOTs have a 6-month extension on due dates, many motorists breathed a big sigh of relief.

We’ve all found that taking care of even the simplest tasks has become a bigger challenge than usual, and something as simple as having your car serviced and MOT’d now comes with some previously unheard of issues fit for these strangest of times.

Does the 6-month MOT extension mean 6 months extended financial security?

Not really. The DVSA hasn’t ‘let anybody off’, and you’re still going to have to make sure your car is safe and has an MOT certificate. What you do have, however, is a cushion of time to get the work done. This is to help those who are in isolation or those whose preferred garage is working on shorter hours or closed temporarily due to staffing problems.

The government is doing its best to help where it can, taking unnecessary pressures off businesses and consumers alike, to help ease us all through the current crisis.

So, if you think you’re going to have an extra 6-months of cash in your pocket, you’re still going to have to part with it at some point. If you’re considering your long-term budget, things could be a lot tighter a little further down the line, so perhaps the sensible thing is to pay for the work now before those purse strings have to be pulled any tighter?

The main reasons for your on-going car care through the Coronavirus crisis

We think this is relatively straightforward common sense, but there are a few items on our list that you might not have considered. And if you have, well, hopefully, this will be the nudge you need to make sure you keep your car in its best shape, ready for every eventuality.

1. It’s not going to let you down in an emergency

You’re only supposed to leave home for essential supplies, medication, to go to work or to exercise. We’re all doing our best to protect resources, so imagine the complications and issues a breakdown would add to your new and peculiar lifestyle.

If you need your car to take a family member to the doctors or a hospital appointment and it won’t start, the tyres are flat, or there’s anything at all wrong with it, it’s just going to add stress to your situation. Making further appointments is going to be harder than usual, too. In these cases, your family might have to go longer without the care they need.

Our families always come first, so it’s just not worth the risk, is it?

2. It’s the best way to assure the safety of your family

Regular car servicing promotes vehicle safety. All essential components are checked regularly to prevent issues from happening unexpectedly. Your service and MOT will detect any faults and problems while they’re still small enough to put right before they snowball into a disaster.

It’s easy to become lulled into a false sense of security. A car can feel as though it’s running without a hitch but how many times has an MOT surprised you with items you didn’t have any inkling of? It’s not just the obvious things like tyres and light bulbs; it’s the hidden problems it resolves that really save the day.

3. A service saves you money

It sounds counterproductive that something that’s going to cost you a reasonable slice of your income is going to save you money—but over time, we’d almost guarantee it.

Catching problems before they escalate into harder fixes and further damage to associated parts and components will save you money.

We’ve mentioned this before when discussing timing belts, water pumps and other components that wear out over time, if they’re not monitored and changed when they need to be, they can lead to engine failure. A new engine, or engine repairs, can run into the thousands, or write off a car of lesser value completely.

4. Longer life and vehicle value

Regular maintenance and upkeep will extend the life of many of your most valued possessions. Your home and your car are two really good examples of this. The more effort you make to keep both of these items in premium condition, the more value they’ll retain. They’ll also give you much better performance and a longer lifespan.

When it comes to replacing either, for whatever reason, that means more money in your pocket for whatever comes next.

5. Greater performance and economy

Keeping your car safe and running at its best means that your car will perform as well as it possibly can despite its age or the wear and tear it will have attained over its life. This also transfers into its fuel economy. The smoother and more efficiently your car runs, the less fuel it uses getting from A to B.

It might not seem like a big deal, but why were you considering putting off your MOT in the first place? To save money. And now you can see that the smart way to do that is NOT to put off your MOT, it just makes sense, right?

So, isn’t it worth picking up the phone and booking your MOT today?

We’ve outlined a few great reasons into why we think you should book a service and an MOT in good time and why you should use the 6-month extension as the safety net it’s designed to be.

If you choose Fixter to carry out your service and MOT, or any repair, maintenance, or upgrade, we’ll make it as stress-free and as simple as possible.

Not only can you save money with our low-cost competitive pricing, but we also offer a completely physical-contact free service.

We collect and deliver every vehicle, so you don’t even have to leave the house. We’ll sanitise your car before returning it, ensuring the safety of your family.

In fact, when you think of the benefits of choosing Fixter, it doesn’t make sense to do anything but book your MOT with us.