MOT Failure Rates by Car Model
Around 1 in 4 vehicles fail their MOT each year. But that average hides huge variation between makes and models. Some cars fail nearly 40% of the time, while others pass over 95% of tests.
We analysed 142 million MOT test records from the UK DVSA database to find which cars are most and least likely to fail. Here's what the data shows.
Looking for your specific car? Check MOT failure rates by make and model for detailed data on 400+ vehicles.
Top 15 Cars Most Likely to Fail MOT
These mainstream models have the highest failure rates in our database. All have at least 2,000 test records for statistical reliability.
| Rank | Model | Failure Rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nissan Tiida | 38.6% | 2,197 |
| 2 | Kia Cerato | 38.4% | 4,174 |
| 3 | Peugeot 807 | 37.9% | 6,323 |
| 4 | Mazda MPV | 37.5% | 2,989 |
| 5 | Fiat Stilo | 37.5% | 4,753 |
| 6 | Citroen C15 | 37.2% | 5,909 |
| 7 | Nissan Interstar | 37.0% | 4,018 |
| 8 | Fiat Multipla | 36.8% | 4,435 |
| 9 | Fiat Seicento | 36.8% | 7,506 |
| 10 | Citroen C8 | 36.6% | 5,956 |
| 11 | Renault Trafic (pre-2014) | 36.3% | 8,412 |
| 12 | Peugeot Partner (pre-2008) | 36.1% | 12,305 |
| 13 | Vauxhall Agila | 35.8% | 9,217 |
| 14 | Fiat Punto (pre-2006) | 35.5% | 15,632 |
| 15 | Citroen Berlingo (pre-2008) | 35.3% | 11,847 |
Pattern: Many high-failure models are older MPVs, budget vehicles, and commercial vans. These tend to accumulate high mileage and may receive less regular maintenance than newer models. French and Italian manufacturers appear disproportionately in the worst-performing list, partly reflecting the age profile of their UK fleets.
Top 15 Most Reliable Cars for MOT
These models have the lowest failure rates. Note that many are newer, premium vehicles — which partly explains their reliability.
| Rank | Model | Failure Rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land Rover Defender SE D MHEV | 4.6% | 2,162 |
| 2 | Honda Jazz Crosstar EX I-MMD | 5.0% | 11,126 |
| 3 | Toyota Yaris Cross Design HEV | 5.3% | 2,061 |
| 4 | Audi S3 TFSI Quattro | 5.7% | 5,917 |
| 5 | Audi SQ5 Vorsprung TDI Quattro | 5.7% | 2,120 |
| 6 | BMW M4 Competition | 5.8% | 2,116 |
| 7 | Nissan Qashqai Tekna DIG-T MHEV | 5.8% | 2,077 |
| 8 | Audi Q3 Sport 35 TFSI MHEV | 5.8% | 3,361 |
| 9 | Peugeot Expert S L1 BlueHDI | 5.8% | 4,094 |
| 10 | Volkswagen T-Roc R TSI 4Motion | 5.9% | 4,131 |
| 11 | Toyota Corolla Icon HEV | 6.1% | 3,892 |
| 12 | Lexus NX 350h F-Sport | 6.2% | 2,543 |
| 13 | BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport | 6.3% | 4,267 |
| 14 | Hyundai Tucson Premium T-GDI MHEV | 6.4% | 2,318 |
| 15 | Kia Sportage GT-Line S T-GDI MHEV | 6.5% | 2,891 |
Pattern: Hybrid vehicles (MHEV, HEV) dominate the top spots. Premium manufacturers like Audi, BMW, and Land Rover feature heavily — likely due to younger vehicle age and more rigorous maintenance schedules. Japanese manufacturers (Toyota, Honda, Lexus) are consistently represented, reflecting their reputation for reliability.
Check Your Car's Specific Risk Score
Enter your registration to see your vehicle's predicted failure risk based on its exact make, model, age, and mileage.
Check Your MOT Risk FreeHow Vehicle Age Affects MOT Failure Rate
Age is one of the biggest factors in MOT outcomes. Here's how failure rates change as vehicles get older:
| Vehicle Age | Failure Rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 years | 15.3% | 6.7M |
| 3-5 years | 15.6% | 28.6M |
| 6-10 years | 18.0% | 50.4M |
| 10-15 years | 19.8% | 34.5M |
| 15+ years | 19.4% | 22.0M |
Key insight: Failure rates increase sharply between 3-5 years and 6-10 years — a jump of 2.4 percentage points. After 10 years, the rate plateaus around 19-20%. Older vehicles that remain on the road tend to be well-maintained, which may explain why 15+ year vehicles don't fail more than 10-15 year vehicles.
Year-Over-Year Failure Rate Trends
The national average MOT failure rate has remained broadly stable over the past five years, hovering between 27% and 29%. However, there are notable shifts beneath the headline figure:
- 2018 defect category changes: The introduction of Minor, Major, and Dangerous categories in May 2018 changed what counts as a "failure". Items that previously caused a fail may now be recorded as minor advisories, and some items are now assessed more strictly.
- Diesel emissions tightening: Stricter diesel emissions limits have slightly increased failure rates for older diesel vehicles, particularly those with DPF (diesel particulate filter) issues.
- COVID-19 effects (2020-2021): MOT extensions during the pandemic created a temporary dip in test volumes and a slight increase in failure rates when vehicles returned for overdue tests.
- EV growth: The increasing proportion of electric and hybrid vehicles is gradually pulling the national average failure rate down, as these vehicles have significantly lower failure rates.
Electric vs Petrol vs Diesel: MOT Failure Comparison
Fuel type has a meaningful impact on MOT outcomes:
| Fuel Type | Avg. Failure Rate | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electric (BEV) | ~12% | No emissions test, fewer moving parts, regenerative braking |
| Hybrid (HEV/PHEV) | ~14% | Lower brake wear, younger average fleet age |
| Petrol | ~27% | Close to national average |
| Diesel | ~30% | Emissions failures, DPF issues, higher average mileage |
Why EVs do better: Electric vehicles skip the exhaust emissions test entirely, have no exhaust system to corrode or leak, and their regenerative braking systems significantly reduce brake pad and disc wear. However, EVs can still fail on tyres (they're often heavier, causing faster tyre wear), lights, suspension, and structural integrity.
Why diesel is worse: Diesel vehicles tend to accumulate higher annual mileage (often used for commuting and commercial purposes), and post-2014 models with DPFs can fail if the filter becomes blocked. Older diesels without DPFs increasingly struggle to meet tightened emissions limits.
Failure Rates by Vehicle Type
The type of vehicle also influences MOT outcomes:
- Hatchbacks (e.g., Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa): Generally average failure rates (25-30%). High volume means plenty of data. Older superminis from budget brands tend to be at the higher end.
- SUVs/Crossovers (e.g., Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage): Slightly below average (22-27%). Newer average fleet age and more premium positioning help.
- Estates and saloons (e.g., BMW 3 Series, Audi A4): Mixed results. German executive cars perform well; older British and French estates can have higher rates.
- Vans and commercial vehicles: Among the highest failure rates (30-37%). High mileage, heavy loads, and less frequent maintenance contribute to accelerated wear on brakes, suspension, and tyres.
- MPVs (people carriers): Historically high failure rates (32-38%). Many MPV models in the UK fleet are older and heavily used for family transport.
Most Common Failure Components
When cars do fail, certain components are responsible more often than others:
| Component | Avg. Failure Rate |
|---|---|
| Lamps, Reflectors & Electrical | 6.2% |
| Brakes | 3.9% |
| Suspension | 3.6% |
| Tyres | 2.6% |
| Visibility (Windscreen, Wipers) | 2.5% |
| Body, Chassis & Structure | 1.8% |
| Steering | 1.0% |
Takeaway: Lighting issues are the single biggest cause of MOT failures. A quick walk-around check of all your lights before your test could significantly improve your chances of passing. For a complete inspection guide, see our top 10 MOT failure points.
What This Means for Car Buyers
If you're buying a used car, MOT failure rate data can be a valuable input into your decision:
- Check the model's track record: Use our make and model lookup to see failure rates for any specific vehicle you're considering.
- Look at component-specific risks: Some models have known weak points. A Ford Focus might have different risk areas than a VW Golf. Knowing these in advance helps you budget for maintenance.
- Factor in age: A 5-year-old car with a 15% failure rate is very different from a 12-year-old car with the same rate. Age-adjusted failure rates give a truer picture.
- Consider fuel type trends: If you're choosing between petrol and diesel versions of the same model, the diesel may have higher long-term maintenance costs due to DPF and emissions-related issues.
- Check MOT history: Before buying, always check the vehicle's MOT history at gov.uk. A pattern of repeated failures or long advisory lists is a red flag.
For a personalised assessment, enter any vehicle's registration on our MOT prediction tool to see its specific failure risk.
Data methodology: This analysis uses MOT test records from the UK DVSA, covering 142 million+ individual tests. We filtered for models with at least 2,000 test records to ensure statistical reliability. Failure rates are averaged across all age bands and mileage bands for each model. Electric and hybrid failure rate estimates are based on available data and may shift as the EV fleet matures.
Data last updated: February 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which car has the highest MOT failure rate?
Based on our analysis of 142 million MOT tests, the Nissan Tiida has the highest failure rate at 38.6%, followed by the Kia Cerato at 38.4% and the Peugeot 807 at 37.9%. These are primarily older models that tend to accumulate high mileage with less regular maintenance.
Which cars are most reliable for MOT?
The most MOT-reliable models include the Land Rover Defender SE D MHEV (4.6% failure rate), Honda Jazz Crosstar EX I-MMD (5.0%), and Toyota Yaris Cross Design HEV (5.3%). Hybrid vehicles and newer premium models dominate the top spots, largely due to younger average vehicle age and more rigorous maintenance schedules.
Do older cars fail MOT more often?
Yes. Vehicles aged 0-3 years have a failure rate of about 15%, rising to 18% for 6-10 year old vehicles and plateauing around 19-20% for vehicles over 10 years old. The sharpest increase occurs between 3-5 years and 6-10 years. Interestingly, vehicles over 15 years old don't fail more than 10-15 year old vehicles, likely because surviving older vehicles tend to be well-maintained.
Do electric cars have lower MOT failure rates?
Yes. Electric vehicles typically have significantly lower MOT failure rates than petrol or diesel equivalents. This is partly due to their younger average age, but also because EVs have fewer moving parts, no exhaust system to fail emissions tests, and regenerative braking that reduces brake wear. However, EVs can still fail on tyres, lights, suspension, and structural issues.
How many cars fail their MOT each year?
Approximately 28% of vehicles fail their MOT each year in the UK, which equates to roughly 10 million failures annually. However, this national average masks significant variation. Some models fail nearly 40% of the time, while others pass over 95% of tests. Your specific failure risk depends on your vehicle's make, model, age, mileage, and maintenance history.