MOT performance
MOT results for 15-year-old cars
57.3% of 2,510,983 MOT tests on 15-year-old cars and light vans in 2023–2024 passed first time, 14.2 points below the all-ages rate of 71.5%, between 58.4% at 14 and 56.6% at 16 years. 10.9% had at least one dangerous defect. These cars were mostly first registered 2007–2009, at a median 102,592 miles.
2,510,983 MOT tests on 2,405,886 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
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| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 57.3% | ±0.1 pts (95%), n = 2,510,983 |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 10.9% | n = 2,510,983 |
| Median mileage at test | 102,592 miles | n = 2,510,983 |
| Vehicles tested | 2,405,886 | 2023–2024 |
| Fuel mix of tests | Petrol 58%, Diesel 41% | n = 2,510,983 |
Where 15-year-old cars fail
Share of tests that failed on each area of the test. The steepest rises since 14 years are in seat belts and airbags (1.6% → 2.0%), body, chassis and structure (6.3% → 7.4%), registration plates and vin (0.5% → 0.5%).
| Area | Failed on it | At 14 years |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 20.1% | 19.2% |
| Suspension | 17.2% | 16.7% |
| Brakes | 11.4% | 10.6% |
| Tyres | 7.7% | 7.6% |
| Body, chassis and structure | 7.4% | 6.3% |
| Driver's view of the road | 6.8% | 6.5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| Steering | 3.4% | 3.2% |
| Seat belts and airbags | 2.0% | 1.6% |
| Road wheels | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Speedometer and driving controls | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Most common failure items at this age
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 5.96% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 4.03% |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.96% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.20% |
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis and structure | 2.82% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 2.77% |
| Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 2.51% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Driver's view of the road | 2.46% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 2.46% |
| Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 2.45% |
Failures that peak at 15 years
Of the most common MOT failure items, these are found most often on cars of exactly this age:
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
- Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak
- Service brake performance: excessively fluctuating
- Attachment: fixing missing
- Lever: has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment
- Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm
- Hand lever: has insufficient reserve travel
- Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened
Every age
- 3 years · 87.1% pass first time
- 4 years · 85.3% pass first time
- 5 years · 83.0% pass first time
- 6 years · 80.3% pass first time
- 7 years · 77.4% pass first time
- 8 years · 74.1% pass first time
- 9 years · 70.6% pass first time
- 10 years · 67.5% pass first time
- 11 years · 64.8% pass first time
- 12 years · 62.3% pass first time
- 13 years · 60.1% pass first time
- 14 years · 58.4% pass first time
- 16 years · 56.6% pass first time
- 17 years · 56.2% pass first time
- 18 years · 56.1% pass first time
- 19 years · 56.2% pass first time
- 20 years · 56.9% pass first time
Check the car you are looking at
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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.