TOP DEAR 73% difference in car costs postcode lottery
STOKE-on-Trent is the cheapest place in the country for car maintenance costs, while South West London is the most expensive, research reveals.
Drivers in Stoke pay an average £113.06 for their annual service and MoT, around £83 cheaper than the highest average bill.
The second cheapest place is Walsall in the West Midlands, where it costs an average £117.89, followed by Doncaster at £127.20, and Coventry at £127.99.
Comparison site MyCarNeedsA.com analysed the cost of thousands of MoTs and service jobs and identified where motorists are being hit hardest.
Hot on the heels of South West London is Leicester, where costs average £187.85, followed by Portsmouth at £186.08 and Bristol with £180.72.
MyCarNeedsA.com boss Scott Hamilton warned motorists face a “postcode lottery” when it comes to car maintenance bills.
He said: “Our research shows that motorists are paying a premium for servicing, MoT, brakes and clutches in certain parts of England.
“In fact, motorists are paying 73 per cent more for MoT and servicing in South West London than they are in Stoke-on-Trent, less than 200 miles away.
“There is undoubtedly a postcode lottery and some motorists are being hit hard, paying over the odds for a standard MoT and servicing.”
But cut-price offers may not necessarily end up working out cheapest. Garages can only charge up to the official maximum for an MoT of £54.85. However, many promote cheaper tests as this usually guarantees they get the repair business too.
Mr Hamilton added: “With 41 per cent of our customers not choosing the cheapest option, it’s clear that customers use location, services offered and customer reviews to choose the best quote for them.”
And t he c onsumer website Moneysavingexpert.com has advice for savvy motorists. Many local councils have their own MoT testing stations for their own vehicles, such as buses or vans. “By law these test centres must be open to the public and as they generally only carry out tests and don’t do repairs, there’s no incentive for mechanics to find faults that don’t exist,” it says.