Illustration. Not the car named.
First MOT fail rates · 2025
failed first time. That's 1.7× the average for all cars (11.9%).
Ranking
Some of these cover more miles before their first MOT. The typical car covers 24k. For a like-for-like view, see the "Under 30k miles" column in the full table below.
By brand
Cars only. Brands with at least 3,000 first MOTs in 2025.
Ranking
All 168 models
| Car | Fail rate | Under 30k miles | Typical miles | Fails most on | First MOTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexus NX23k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 4.3% | 3.3% | 23k | Tyres | 2,734 |
| Honda HR-V19k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 4.5% | 4.3% | 19k | Tyres | 5,401 |
| Lexus RX23k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 4.6% | 3.8% | 23k | Tyres | 1,905 |
| Porsche 9119k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 4.6% | 4.4% | 9k | Tyres | 1,969 |
| Lexus UX21k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 5.3% | 4.3% | 21k | Tyres | 2,833 |
| Toyota RAV427k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 5.8% | 4.7% | 27k | Tyres | 8,189 |
| Toyota Aygo15k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 6.0% | 5.2% | 15k | Tyres | 11,124 |
| Honda Jazz15k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 6.2% | 5.7% | 15k | Tyres | 9,025 |
| Mazda MX-512k miles typical · fails most on lights | 6.3% | 6.0% | 12k | Lights | 1,118 |
| Honda Civic21k miles typical · fails most on wipers and windscreen | 6.3% | 5.5% | 21k | Wipers and windscreen | 1,272 |
| Suzuki Ignis13k miles typical · fails most on wipers and windscreen | 6.5% | 5.6% | 13k | Wipers and windscreen | 2,123 |
| Suzuki Swift18k miles typical · fails most on wipers and windscreen | 6.7% | 5.3% | 18k | Wipers and windscreen | 3,759 |
| Porsche Cayenne25k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 6.7% | 5.7% | 25k | Tyres | 1,984 |
| Honda CR-V23k miles typical · fails most on lights | 6.8% | 5.9% | 23k | Lights | 4,438 |
| Porsche Macan21k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 6.8% | 6.5% | 21k | Tyres | 3,904 |
| Audi Q222k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 7.1% | 5.5% | 22k | Tyres | 9,873 |
| Suzuki S-Cross21k miles typical · fails most on wipers and windscreen | 7.2% | 5.7% | 21k | Wipers and windscreen | 2,601 |
| Audi Q527k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 7.3% | 6.4% | 27k | Tyres | 8,310 |
| Mazda CX-3021k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 7.4% | 5.8% | 21k | Tyres | 4,972 |
| Jaguar I-Pace26k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 7.5% | 5.8% | 26k | Tyres | 3,733 |
Vans and pick-ups
They cover more miles. Most fail on lights, then tyres.
| Car | Fail rate | Under 30k miles | Typical miles | Fails most on | First MOTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Hilux37k miles typical · fails most on lights | 15.3% | 11.6% | 37k | Lights | 5,257 |
| Isuzu D-Max36k miles typical · fails most on lights | 16.0% | 11.0% | 36k | Lights | 3,019 |
| Volkswagen Transporter30k miles typical · fails most on lights | 16.7% | 11.8% | 30k | Lights | 11,031 |
| Volkswagen Caddy36k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 17.7% | 14.3% | 36k | Tyres | 4,202 |
| Ford Ranger41k miles typical · fails most on lights | 18.4% | 12.8% | 41k | Lights | 12,434 |
| Ford Transit38k miles typical · fails most on lights | 18.8% | 10.5% | 38k | Lights | 1,302 |
| Mercedes-Benz Vito46k miles typical · fails most on brakes | 18.9% | – | 46k | Brakes | 1,200 |
| Ford Transit Courier40k miles typical · fails most on lights | 20.2% | 15.6% | 40k | Lights | 3,873 |
| Ford Transit Connect39k miles typical · fails most on tyres | 21.3% | 16.2% | 39k | Tyres | 8,776 |
| Renault Trafic42k miles typical · fails most on lights | 23.6% | 15.9% | 42k | Lights | 4,098 |
| Ford Transit Custom44k miles typical · fails most on lights | 23.8% | 16.7% | 44k | Lights | 29,366 |
| Toyota Proace40k miles typical · fails most on lights | 24.2% | 14.6% | 40k | Lights | 3,094 |
| Peugeot Expert39k miles typical · fails most on lights | 24.3% | 11.4% | 39k | Lights | 4,081 |
| Vauxhall Vivaro42k miles typical · fails most on lights | 27.0% | 16.6% | 42k | Lights | 8,011 |
| Vauxhall Combo38k miles typical · fails most on lights | 27.0% | 18.2% | 38k | Lights | 4,585 |
| Peugeot Partner42k miles typical · fails most on lights | 27.5% | 14.7% | 42k | Lights | 5,571 |
| Citroën Berlingo41k miles typical · fails most on lights | 28.1% | 17.2% | 41k | Lights | 6,001 |
| Citroën Dispatch43k miles typical · fails most on lights | 31.3% | 21.1% | 43k | Lights | 3,524 |
Behind the ranking
cars failed their first MOT in 2025 (11.9%).
of those failed only on things you can check at home: tyres, wipers, washer fluid, bulbs and number plates.
of cars over 60,000 miles failed, against 6.4% under 15,000 miles. Miles matter more than the make.
Type your plate to see when it's due and what to check first. Free, no sign-up.
A first MOT is a 2025 test on a car first used 1,000 to 1,125 days earlier, with no MOT in 2024. A fail includes cars fixed and passed on the same visit, which is how DVSA counts the first result. Each model has at least 1,000 tests, so its rate is accurate to within 3 percentage points or better.
Free to use with a credit and a link to this page. Download the full table (CSV). Questions from journalists: kickthetyres.uk@gmail.com.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Kick the Tyres is not linked to DVSA. Check your car
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