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MOT performance

UK MOT pass rates by make and model

Across 65,477,892 MOT tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023–2024, 71.5% passed first time and 7.8% had at least one dangerous defect. Pass rates fall steadily with age. Below are 45 makes and 391 models with enough tests to compare, each adjusted for age, mileage and fuel so that older fleets aren't penalised for being older.

65,477,892 MOT tests on 34,140,187 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

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At a glance

UK MOT results at a glance
FigureValueBasis
First-time pass rate, all cars71.5%n = 65,477,892 tests
Tests with a dangerous defect7.8%n = 65,477,892
Average age at test9.6 yearscars at least 2.5 years old
Makes / models with a page45 / 391those passing the sample thresholds
Tests matched to a catalogue model97.9%of 66,382,922 class 4 tests

Pass rate by age

UK MOT first-time pass rate by age at test
Age at test (years)TestsFirst-time pass rateFailures vs similar cars
3-48,541,03986.1%Same
5-69,865,00181.7%Same
7-810,435,91875.8%Same
9-108,869,71069.1%Same
11-127,005,74563.6%Same
13-158,489,67358.7%Same
16+9,448,57257.8%Same

Pass rate by fuel

UK MOT first-time pass rate by fuel type
FuelTestsFirst-time pass rateDangerous defect
Petrol34,937,90971.9%7.2%
Diesel27,548,90969.6%9.0%
Hybrid2,050,96785.6%4.3%
Electric573,93284.6%6.0%
Other366,17581.1%5.1%

Unadjusted: fuel groups differ in age and mileage, which drive most of the difference.

Most common MOT failure items

Most common UK MOT failure items
ItemAreaShare of tests
Position lamp: not workingLights, reflectors and electrical2.57%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mmTyres2.44%
Coil spring: fractured or brokenSuspension2.32%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectivelyDriver's view of the road2.11%
Stop lamp: not workingLights, reflectors and electrical1.96%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thickBrakes1.89%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquidDriver's view of the road1.45%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beamLights, reflectors and electrical1.45%
Ball joint: ball joint excessively wornSuspension1.43%
Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirtBody, chassis and structure1.36%
Condition: has ply or cords exposedTyres1.36%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrectLights, reflectors and electrical1.31%
Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cordsTyres1.31%
Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively wornSuspension1.20%
Headlamp aim: too lowLights, reflectors and electrical1.19%
Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirementsBrakes1.11%
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lampsLights, reflectors and electrical1.10%
Track rod end: ball joint has excessive playSteering1.07%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunctionNoise, emissions and leaks0.95%
Headlamp aim: too highLights, reflectors and electrical0.88%

By area

By age

The most common failure items

The 140 most common individual MOT failure items, each with how it changes with age and the models that fail on it most and least often.

By make

See every make ranked after allowing for age and mileage, or go straight to a make:

How these figures are produced

The source is DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. The scope is class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. The first-time pass rate is the share of normal tests passed outright; a pass after a repair at the test station counts as an initial fail, as DVSA counts it.

“Failures vs similar cars” divides the failures a make or model actually had by the failures expected if each of its tests had failed at the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. 1.00 means average for comparable cars; 1.20 means 20% more failures. This removes most of the effect of an older or higher-mileage fleet, but not differences in how cars are looked after.

Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue (97.9% of tests match a model; unmatched tests are excluded rather than guessed). A make needs 20,000 tests and a model 10,000 for a page; a registration year needs 2,000 tests; an area gets a model-level page only when it differs from comparable cars by at least 20% with a strong statistical signal. The full per-model table is available as a CSV.

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UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.

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