Research by GoCompare found MOT failures cost drivers an estimated £17.5m a year – but almost half of these failures are avoidable.

The study found that of the eight million vehicles that failed their MOT test in 2020, 47 per cent could have been averted by carrying out a few straightforward checks beforehand. Yet, 27 per cent of drivers claim not to do anything to prepare their car before its test.

According to government data, 27 per cent of MOT failures are due to issues with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Meanwhile, 11 per cent are caused by tyre defects and 8 per cent by visibility problems.

Some 6.5 per cent of vehicles that fail miss the 10-day window for a free retest. This means their owners have to pay full price to book another test, which costs an average of £48.32, to get their car back on the road.

Ryan Fulthorpe, a motoring expert at GoCompare, said: “Our data shows that millions of MOT failures can be avoided by performing a series of basic checks before taking a vehicle to the garage.

“It takes as little as 10 minutes to examine a car for simple defects, such as faulty light bulbs and flat tyres. Yet, over 2.6 million vehicles fail their test due to these kinds of issues every year, and many owners end up having to pay for a retest as a result. We would urge all motorists to inspect their vehicle ahead of time, as neglecting to do so could cost you around £48.”