Thousands of motorists could be on the road with dangerously unsafe tyres because of common faults that aren't being picked up during routine servicing jobs.
That’s the worrying message from experts who are speaking-out to highlight the dangers of lazy MOT jobs.
It comes despite a crackdown on annual car checks last May - when the Government widened the bracket for what constitutes a 'dangerous' car, making it harder to 'pass' a test.
Specialists at motoring association MotorEasy say your car’s wheels must always be taken off during every service, in order to check for leaks and other safety issues.
But they warn that a proper 'wheel-off’ job is often skipped by garages - even with expensive so-called ‘full services’ from dealerships.
And that’s putting motorists at risk of serious injury from brake failure.
Duncan McClure Fisher, founder MotorEasy, said vehicle owners can protect themselves by checking servicing job sheets to make sure the wheels have been taken off, or by watching the service take place from the garage’s waiting room.
"A proper service will involve the garage technician taking all of the wheels off your car in order to check the condition of your brakes," he said.
"Yet many garages don't bother, and instead simply peek through the gaps in your alloys or rely on the last MOT brake test.
"Loose or broken pads cannot be seen with the wheel on.
"We've even seen a car pass its MOT despite having this problem as the engineer didn't check properly!
"Leaks inside the brake drums cannot be seen with the wheel on.
"And brakes can't be measured, to see how much life there is left in them, with the wheels on.
"That's not ideal if you're doing high mileage. Remember, many garages have a waiting room where you can watch the service taking place. If the wheels aren't being taken off, you've got a problem.”
Duncan added that not all 'services' are made equal - even if you’re paying over the odds for it.
"We know there's a huge problem with car servicing in the UK because we're the ones who pick up the pieces when things go wrong.
"Very often a car's owner has made every effort to keep their vehicle in the best possible shape, having it serviced regularly and keeping up with the maintenance.
"But unless that service actually involves all the jobs that need doing, and is conducted precisely to the manufacturer's guidelines, then you're going to have a problem.
"When you book a service, find out precisely what it entails before you agree to it so you're not caught short - they should be able to give you a jobsheet."
