Renewing your COE? Check the car first
Renewing commits a significant sum to a car that has already done ten years. Before you decide, it is worth knowing what the next five or ten years are likely to cost you in repairs — which is a question about the car, not about the premium.
The decision, in plain terms
A car's COE runs for ten years. At the end of it you either deregister the car or renew the COE by paying the Prevailing Quota Premium, for another five or ten years. A five-year renewal is the last one — at the end of it the car has to go.
The premium itself, the paperwork and the deadlines are LTA's side of it, and the current figures are on OneMotoring. Our side is the car: what condition it is actually in, and what it is likely to need if you keep it.
What we check
A structured used-car check covering bodywork, engine and transmission, electrical systems, brakes, suspension, steering, tyres and a test drive, ending in a written report.
- Includes an OBD-II diagnostic scan and battery health test
- Report covers major findings, repair estimates and our professional opinion
It is the same structured check we run for used-car buyers — see our pre-purchase inspection — applied to the car you already own.
What you get back
A written report with the major findings, repair estimates and our honest opinion. If the car is sound, you will know that before you commit. If it is going to need serious work, you will know what and roughly what it costs — which is exactly the number that belongs next to the premium when you weigh the two.
We do not tell you what to decide, and we have nothing to sell you either way.
Common questions
- Should I renew my COE or deregister the car?
- That part is yours to decide — it depends on the premium at the time, what you would replace the car with, and how long you want to keep driving it. What we can tell you is the condition of the car you already own and what it is likely to need, so the decision is made on facts rather than a guess.
- What do you check before a COE renewal?
- A structured used-car check covering bodywork, engine and transmission, electrical systems, brakes, suspension, steering, tyres and a test drive, ending in a written report. It also includes an OBD-II diagnostic scan and a battery health test.
- Do I get a written report?
- Yes. The check ends in a written report covering the major findings, repair estimates and our professional opinion, so you have something concrete to weigh against the cost of renewing.
- How much does it cost?
- Message us with your car's make, model and registration year and we will confirm the cost before anything is booked. We confirm the price with you before any work begins.
- Do you handle the COE renewal itself?
- No. Renewing a COE is done with LTA, and the premium, paperwork and deadlines are their side of it. We assess the car so you know what you are committing to.