Drivers issued urgent warning to book MOT as soon as possible or risk enormous repair bills

Experts and a handful of motoring organisations remind motorists every year to ensure they leave enough time to book their MOT test and have a qualified mechanic assess their vehicles.

Drivers can get an MOT for up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date. This means if an MOT runs out on May 15, the earliest they can book to keep the same date is April 16.

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Britons must ensure they have a valid MOT if they want to keep their cars on the road or they could face a fine worth up to £1,000.

The only exception allowed for drivers to be behind the wheel of a car with an expired MOT is if it is travelling to a pre-arranged MOT test or getting repaired.

This comes as new data suggests that motorists could be losing out on hundreds of pounds because of costly repairs which can easily be fixed before visiting a garage.

The data, from Halfords, found that 25.28 per cent of MOT failures are because of lights and signalling issues, which generally stem from having at least one defect.

It can be as simple as faulty bulbs, broken indicators, or non-functional brake lights, all of which can be fixed in a matter of minutes and for a cheaper price than it would cost at an MOT garage.

Experts from Halfords urge drivers to get into the habit of checking all lamps on their car by walking around the vehicle with all of the lights on.

Motorists should pay particular attention to lights illuminating the number plates and the reversing lights as they can be easily overlooked prior to failing an MOT test.

The second most common issue is problems with suspensions, which contribute to almost one in five failures, although millions could deal with a failure simply by driving on an older, pothole-filled road.

A staggering 27 per cent of drivers reported having issues with their vehicles over the past 12 months as a result of potholes, including worn-out suspension dampers, damaged springs, or excessively leaking suspension components.

Motorists can quickly diagnose these issues by listening out for unusual noises when driving over bumps, or if they notice the vehicle pulling to one side.

Similarly, worn brake pads, significantly worn brake discs, brake fluid leaks, or issues with the braking system’s efficiency lead to 16.5 per cent of MOT failures across Britain.

Many garages, including Halfords, offer free brake checks which can catch problems earlier and prevent further unnecessary damage and the issue of having to fork out hundreds of pounds when taking their vehicles in for a test.

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Other common issues leading to an MOT test failure include tyres (12.8 per cent), visibility (7.38 per cent) and exhaust and emissions (6.44 per cent).

Experts at Halfords have pointed out to drivers that preventing an MOT test failure does not have to be complicated or time-consuming.

They added: "Regularly checking vehicles for these common issues can help save both time and money and ensure drivers remain safe on the road."