Winter car checklist

Safety: only do jobs you are confident with. Never work under a car supported only by a jack, and if a repair affects brakes, steering or suspension and you are unsure, have a garage do it or check your work.

Breakdown call-outs peak in the first cold snap of winter, and most of them are avoidable: flat batteries, worn tyres, frozen washers and failed bulbs. The same things fail MOTs all year round. In 2025, 16.4% of car MOT tests failed on lights and electrics alone. Half an hour on these ten checks in October or November covers most of it.

1. Battery

Cold weather reduces a battery’s power just as the engine needs more to start. If it cranks slowly on cold mornings, or the battery is over four or five years old, have it tested before it lets you down. Many parts shops and tyre centres do this free. Our battery guide shows how to test it with a £10 multimeter.

2. Tyre tread

The legal minimum is 1.6mm, but grip on wet and slushy roads falls away well before that. For winter, 3mm or more is sensible. Check all four tyres, including the inner edges. See how to check your tyres.

3. Tyre pressures

Pressures drop as the temperature falls, roughly 1 psi for every 5°C. Check them cold, once a month, against the figures on the sticker inside the driver’s door frame.

4. Every light

You’ll be driving in the dark far more. Walk round the car with the lights on: dipped and main beam, side lights, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number-plate lights. Clean the lenses too, as road grime cuts light output noticeably. Our bulb guide covers replacing them.

5. Wiper blades

Blades harden over summer. If they smear or judder, replace them before winter. It takes minutes. Never use the wipers to clear ice; it tears the rubber. See changing wiper blades.

6. Screenwash

Use a proper winter screenwash at the strength the bottle recommends for low temperatures. Plain water freezes in the bottle and the jets, and salty road spray makes a working washer essential. An empty washer bottle is an MOT failure.

7. Coolant (antifreeze)

With the engine cold, check the coolant is between the MIN and MAX marks. Coolant protects against freezing as well as overheating; a garage can test its strength cheaply. Never open the cap on a hot engine. See checking your fluids.

8. Engine oil

Check the dipstick level on level ground with the engine off. If the car is due a service, autumn is a good time to have it done.

9. Brakes

Wet roads need brakes in good condition. Listen for squealing or grinding, and look through the wheels at the pads and discs. See how to check brake pads and discs.

10. Winter kit

• Ice scraper and de-icer (don’t pour boiling water on the screen; it can crack the glass)
• A torch, warm layers, a blanket and a phone charger
• Jump leads or a portable jump starter
• Snacks and water for long journeys, and a shovel if you live somewhere that gets heavy snow

Before you set off on a cold morning

• Clear every window fully, not a porthole in the windscreen. Driving with an obscured view can mean a fine and penalty points.
• Clear snow off the roof, as it can slide onto the windscreen when you brake.
• Don’t leave the engine running unattended to warm up. It’s an offence on a public road and an easy way to have the car stolen.

Which cars fail on lights and electrics most?

From our analysis of every car MOT in 2025, these popular models failed on lights and electrics most often. If you own or are buying one, it is worth checking this area more carefully. Older cars naturally fail more, so the figures partly reflect each model’s age.

See every model in our MOT data by model.

If your car’s MOT is due over the winter, check its MOT history for advisories from last time: many of them, such as tyres, brakes and lights, are exactly the things on this list.