Tyres: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure
This one item accounted for 0% of every MOT test carried out in Great Britain, and it is among the commonest faults on 26 different model-and-year combinations. Here is where it clusters, and what it looks like on a car you are standing in front of.
How to spot it before you buy
Check all four tyre tread depths (legal minimum 1.6mm) — a 20p coin makes a quick gauge
Insert a 20p into the groove: if the coin's outer band is visible, the tread is near the limit. Worn tyres are an MOT failure and a safety risk; a set can be £300–600.
The models it hits hardest
Ranked by how often the fault came up as a share of that model's own tests, not by raw count — a fault in 8% of a small model's tests says more about that model than one in 3% of the Fiesta's. A linked row has a page of its own.
| Model | Years | Share of its tests |
|---|---|---|
| Lexus CT | 2010–2013 | 1.1% |
| Audi A7 | 2014–2017 | 1.1% |
| Skoda Rapid | 2018–2021 | 1% |
| Kia Picanto | 2018–2021 | 0.9% |
| Mercedes-Benz CLS | 2014–2017 | 0.9% |
| Renault Zoe | 2018–2021 | 0.9% |
| Mazda 3 | 2014–2017 | 0.8% |
| Mercedes-Benz SLK | 2014–2017 | 0.8% |
| Ford Focus St | 2018–2021 | 0.8% |
| Jaguar XK | 2010–2013 | 0.8% |
| Toyota Aygo | 2014–2017 | 0.7% |
| MINI One | 2014–2017 | 0.7% |
| Vauxhall Viva | 2014–2017 | 0.7% |
| Skoda Superb | 2018–2021 | 0.7% |
| Vauxhall Viva | 2018–2021 | 0.7% |
| MINI Cooper | 2014–2017 | 0.6% |
| Nissan Micra | 2018–2021 | 0.6% |
| Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd | 2018–2021 | 0.6% |
| BMW 640 | 2014–2017 | 0.6% |
| Skoda Kodiaq | 2014–2017 | 0.6% |
Showing the worst 20 of 26 affected model-and-year combinations. The full dataset is downloadable below.
Free · no account, no card
See whether the car you're looking at has this on record
Type the registration and you get that car's own MOT history — every advisory and every failure, including whether this one has already come up.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023. Class 4 standard tests only. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.