Free vehicle safety check
Avoid breakdowns and keep your car running smoothly with our free vehicle health check
Your car performs at its best when it is well maintained but it can be tricky juggling your busy lifestyle with looking after your car as well. Some of the most common causes of vehicle breakdowns involve damaged tyres and dead batteries but these can be easily avoided with a regular inspection of these elements and other key components on your vehicle. If you don’t have the time or you don’t know what to look for when checking over your vehicle, we’re here to help.
To give you one less thing to worry about, pop in to your local Kwik Fit centre and our trained technicians will carry out a free vehicle safety check on your car and get you ready for the road.
Book your free Vehicle Health Check
To book your free vehicle safety check at your local centre, enter your vehicle registration number below.
Please note: free vehicle safety checks can be completed on hybrid/electric vehicles at selected centres.
What is included in a car safety check?
To keep you moving we’ll check the following items free of charge:
- Tyres - We will check the overall condition of your tyres including the tread depth and pressure
- Battery – We will test the batteries charge to make sure your car starts in the mornings
- Coolant - We will check the strength and levels
- Wiper blades for splits or damage
- Operation of the windscreen wash system and the level of screen wash and top this up if necessary
- Light bulbs – faulty or broken bulbs should be replaced to avoid being pulled over by the police
Once your check has been completed our trained technicians will discuss the report with you and provide help and guidance if any elements do not meet the safety requirements.
What is done on a vehicle health check?
Here's a run down of the areas our technician we'll check and why its important to keep your car healthy.
Tyres
Tyres are essential in keeping you safe on the roads and bringing your vehicle to a stop when you need to brake and stop quickly. Worn tyres will have a negative affect on your stopping distance and damaged tyres could result in a blow out. Part of our free vehicle safety check will include an inspection of your tyres overall condition, tread depth and tyre pressure.
Battery
Battery failure is possible at any time of year if it's charging power is drained and it no longer has the power necessary to turn over the starter motor. The increased number of electrical components inside the car such as phone charges as well as using heating and lights put additional strain on the battery.In addition, batteries naturally lose their charging capability over time so It's best to get this checked out before you find your vehicle won't start in the morning.
Coolant/Anti-freeze
Your engine’s coolant level should be checked regularly to avoid causing serious damage to your engine. Coolant and antifreeze is actually the same thing and provides the dual purpose of ensuring liquids do not freeze and crack the radiator in winter, while also making sure the radiator does not overheat in the summer.
Wiper blades, windscreen system and screen wash levels
The UK weather can be changeable at best, so even in summer months it pays to ensure your windscreen wipers are functioning properly. Our free health check includes inspecting your wiper blades to ensure they are free of splits and damage. We will also check the operation of your windscreen wash system and top up your screen wash if necessary.
Light Bulbs
Ensuring your vehicle’s lights are working correctly is critical for your own safety and other road users as it allows you to be able to see and help others to see you. Having a faulty or damaged bulb is illegal so we'll check to ensure all of these are functioning correctly.
How long does a vehicle safety check take?
Depending on the type and model of your car, a vehicle health check can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. You can either wait in our reception area or we'll let you know once the health check is completed.
What is a winter car check?
A Kwik Fit winter check, is exactly the same as a vehicle safety check but is even more important during the winter months when weather conditions can be more adverse. We'll check the most common areas of your car that lead to winter breakdowns giving you peace of mind when you venture out during the colder months.
What is included in a winter car check?
To keep you moving during the winter months we’ll check the following items free of charge:
- Tyres - the condition of your tyres will be checked to ensure you stick to the road in wet and icy conditions
- Battery – Batteries struggle on freezing mornings. We will test the battery's charge to make sure your car can start and get you to work
- Antifreeze – Essential to ensuring the radiator does not freeze. We'll check the strength and fluid levels
- Wiper blades - Wipers are more likely to be damaged in winter months when the blades freeze to the windscreen. We'll check for splits and other damage
- Windscreen wash system - we'll check this is operating correctly and the level of screen wash, topping up as necessary
- Light bulbs – With the long dark evenings, you're more likely to need your lights - we'll ensure you are made aware of any faulty or broken bulbs and can replace these for a small charge.
Once your check has been completed our trained technicians will discuss the report with you and provide help and guidance if any elements do not meet the safety requirements. We'll not proceed with any remedial work without your prior agreement so our free check is exactly that.
Can petrol freeze in winter?
The freezing point of petrol can range from -40°C to -60°C, depending on the composition and additives. Therefore, the chances of your petrol tank freezing are extremely low in Britain unless you are living somewhere where the temperature drops below -40°C for a long time. Even then, your car's fuel system may keep the petrol under enough pressure to prevent it from freezing. Diesel fuel has a much higher freezing point of around -6°C to -15°C but is still unlikely to cause many problems for drivers in British winters as petrol stations will switch to different diesel blends in the winter months to resist freezing temperatures that would otherwise cause gelling or waxing of the fuel.
However, you should still take some precautions to avoid any problems with your car's performance in cold weather and other components such as radiators and washer jets that use water-based fluids can freeze if not treated. Appropriate blends of coolant and washer fluid can help prevent such freezing.
Is a vehicle health check the same as an MOT?
No, a vehicle health check is a comprehensive inspection of your car's condition, including the tyres, battery, lights and fluid levels. We offer this service free of charge as a way to highlight and prevent some of the most common areas that can go wrong. An MOT, on the other hand, is a legal requirement for all cars over three years old in the UK. It is a test of the roadworthiness and emissions of your car, and it must be done by an authorised MOT centre such as Kwik Fit. A vehicle health check does not replace an MOT, but can be a great way to ensure your vehicle is ready and avoid any potential problems before you have an MOT.
