Which cars fail their MOT most
The DVSA publishes the result of every MOT test in Great Britain. We aggregated 24 million of them by model and registration year, so you can see how the car you are considering compares before you go and look at one. New to the certificate itself? Start with what advisories and PRS mean.
Three things the data shows
A car goes from failing one MOT in seven to one in three
Same year of testing, different years of registration. The jump between a car registered in 2018 and one registered in 2013 is the single largest effect in the data, larger than any difference between brands.
Some brands age far worse than others
| Make | 2018–21 | 2010–13 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renault | 18.3% | 48.6% | +30.3 |
| Nissan | 14.3% | 42.5% | +28.2 |
| Alfa Romeo | 12.4% | 38.3% | +25.9 |
| Kia | 13.9% | 39.1% | +25.2 |
| Hyundai | 13.7% | 38.0% | +24.3 |
| Porsche | 6.2% | 11.9% | +5.7 |
| Land Rover | 13.8% | 25.3% | +11.5 |
| Jaguar | 12.7% | 26.2% | +13.5 |
| Lexus | 7.0% | 20.7% | +13.7 |
| BMW | 12.1% | 27.8% | +15.7 |
Read as condition, not build quality. An MOT records what state a car is in on the day, and cheaper cars tend to be maintained more cheaply. This gap measures how a marque is looked after as much as how it was made.
Britain's most common MOT failure is not bald tyres
| Defect | Share of all tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | 2.13% |
| Coil spring fractured or broken | 2.09% |
| Brake linings and pads less than 1.5 mm thick | 1.64% |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 1.00% |
| Position lamp not working | 0.83% |
A fractured coil spring is very nearly as common as illegal tread, and it is not something a buyer looks for. It is also the failure most likely to be sitting on a car that looks fine on the forecourt.
The ten worst
Models with at least 5,000 tests, by share failing first time.
| Model | Years | Fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 2010–2013 | 52.8% | 37,943 |
| Renault Trafic | 2010–2013 | 51.7% | 21,437 |
| Renault Kangoo | 2010–2013 | 51.5% | 16,921 |
| Renault Grand Scenic | 2010–2013 | 50.1% | 11,759 |
| Renault Clio | 2010–2013 | 49.9% | 81,267 |
| Citroen Dispatch | 2010–2013 | 49.6% | 9,188 |
| Peugeot 5008 | 2010–2013 | 49.1% | 9,067 |
| Renault Megane | 2010–2013 | 48.8% | 48,588 |
| Citroen DS3 | 2010–2013 | 48.7% | 47,814 |
| Nissan NV200 | 2010–2013 | 48.2% | 10,416 |
The ten best
| Model | Years | Fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus RX | 2018–2021 | 4.9% | 6,057 |
| Porsche 911 | 2014–2017 | 5.2% | 6,983 |
| Porsche 911 | 2018–2021 | 5.7% | 5,098 |
| Lexus UX | 2018–2021 | 5.7% | 7,608 |
| Porsche Macan | 2018–2021 | 6.1% | 12,431 |
| Lexus NX | 2018–2021 | 6.9% | 13,478 |
| Ford Puma St-Line Mhev | 2018–2021 | 7.2% | 5,429 |
| Porsche Cayenne | 2018–2021 | 7.2% | 7,190 |
| Honda HR-V | 2018–2021 | 7.4% | 14,852 |
| Mazda MX-5 | 2018–2021 | 7.7% | 8,556 |
The most common cars on British roads
The ten most-tested models in the dataset. Models shown in green have a full page. To find a particular car, browse by manufacturer — or ask a different question of the same fleet: how many of each model are still on the road.
| Model | Years | Fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 2014–2017 | 28.9% | 461,264 |
| Ford Fiesta | 2010–2013 | 39.1% | 394,381 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 2014–2017 | 30.5% | 295,743 |
| Ford Focus | 2014–2017 | 21.8% | 281,990 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 2010–2013 | 42.0% | 275,493 |
| Ford Focus | 2010–2013 | 38.1% | 273,401 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 2014–2017 | 15.7% | 270,518 |
| Vauxhall Astra | 2010–2013 | 36.2% | 220,599 |
| Nissan Qashqai | 2014–2017 | 22.0% | 220,103 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 2010–2013 | 30.4% | 210,225 |
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Check a specific car
These are model averages. The actual car in the advert has its own MOT history, its own mileage record and its own advisories. Type its registration to see them.
Use this data
The full table: 967 models, every registration-year band, each with its most common defect, as a CSV. Free to use, including commercially, with attribution. Provided as is, without warranty: check anything you are about to publish against the source.
How to cite: AutoSpect analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results for 2023, the most recent year DVSA has published. Class 4 tests, first-time results, models with at least 2,000 tests. autospect.co.uk/mot
The underlying figures are Crown copyright. If you republish them, carry the notice too: Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Working on a story with it? support@autospect.co.uk and we are happy to run a cut for a particular model or brand.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, the most recent year published — DVSA’s release list was last checked on and no later year had been released. Class 4 standard tests only; retests and appeals excluded. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.