Car MOT Fail Checker and MOT Fail Statistics Report

Key Takeaways

• Car most likely to fail their MOT: Peugeot 207 

• Car most likely to pass their MOT: Porsche 911 

• Busiest MOT day: A Tuesday in October 

• Top MOT fail reason: Handbrake efficiency issues  

What is an MOT?

It is illegal to drive without a valid MOT, and driving without an MOT on your car can invalidate your car insurance. By law, cars in the UK that are over three years old, must undergo an inspection each year to make sure it meets the Ministry of Transport’s safety and emission standards.

This Ministry of Transport test (commonly referred to as an MOT), checks road safety features such as brakes, suspension and tyres, as well as whether your vehicle’s exhaust meets legal pollution limits.  

Car MOT Fail Checker: Discover Why Your Car Might Fail Its Next MOT 

The UK government publishes the DVSA records of every MOT carried out in Great Britain since 2005, and Northern Ireland since 2017, to the present (September 2025).  

Our team analysed over 815 million records to build the MOT Fail Checker Tool. Simply enter your car model and it will reveal the most common MOT fail reasons for that car model, and the average age that car model is likely to fail its first MOT test. 

MoneySuperMarket’s 2025 Report: MOT Fail Statistics for Cars 

Our new report analysed over 815 million UK MOT test records to reveal:  

1. The Cars Most Likely To Fail Their MOT 

2. The Cars Most Likely To Pass Their MOT 

3. The Top 25 Most Common MOT Fail Reasons (all car models) 

4. Top MOT Faults By Fuel Type 

5. The Most Likely Age Cars Will Fail Their First MOT 

6. Most Popular Time of Year for MOTs 

7. The Most Common MOT Faults in Popular Car Models 

8. Methodology And Sources  

9. Cars Most Likely To Fail Their MOT 

By looking at DVSA records of every MOT carried out over the last 20 years, our data analysts have revealed which cars models have the highest failure rates.  

Based on car models that have had over 100,000 MOT tests since 2025, the Peugeot 207 (both the diesel and petrol type) is the model most likely to fail an MOT, with failure rates of 35% and 33% for the diesel and petrol types respectively.

The Peugeot 206 completes the top three. Both Volkswagen and Citroen have two entries in the list of cars most likely to fail their MOT, with the Ford Fiesta, Renault Megane and Fiat Punto completing the top ten.  

Cars With The Highest MOT Fail Rate 

Nearly a third of Peugeot 207s fail their MOT. The most common issues in the diesel model are fractured or broken front coil springs and broken sidelights, whereas the petrol Peugeot 207s are more likely to fail an MOT due to a loose exhaust pipe or a broken check engine light. According to over 501,000 MOT records for Peugeot 207s, the average age for this model to fail its first MOT test is five years old.

According to the DVSA MOT data, the most common reasons for a Peugeot 206 to fail include: the nearside front tyre tread depth being below the 1.6mm requirement (2.07% of Peugeot 206s fail on this fault); the parking brake efficiency being below requirements (2.12% fail rate); and exhaust emission reading revealing that the car’s engine is either burning too much fuel, or too much air.

2. The Cars Most Likely To Pass Their MOT 

Using vehicle history data from car models that have each had over 100,000 MOT tests since 2005, we found the cars most likely to pass their MOT test. Porsche 911 has the lowest MOT failure rate over the past 20 years, followed by the Volkswagen T-ROC and the Toyota RAV4. Toyota also appears in 5^th spot with the Yaris, and the Audi Q3 completes the top five. 

Cars With The Lowest MOT Fail Rate 

 3. Top 25 Most Common MOT Fail Reasons (all car models) 

DVSA data shows that cars most often fail their MOT because the handbrake isn’t strong enough to safely hold a car securely, the tread depth of the tyres being below the 1.6mm requirement, and the windscreen washer not providing sufficient washer liquid.  

Handbrake failure is a common MOT issue in most car models. Owners often miss handbrake issues, especially when parking on flat surfaces or if they leave the car in gear when parked, and the issue then only becomes apparent during an MOT test.

UK motorists drive on the left, and data shows the nearside (front-left) tyre tends to wear more quickly. This is especially true for front-wheel-drive vehicles, which are more common among family and commuter cars. It’s important to check the wear of front tyres as they are the second and third most common reason for failing an MOT in the UK.  

Other very frequent fail reasons include: the windscreen wipers not properly clearing a windscreen; the Lambda reading in the exhaust emissions test showing either a fuel and air imbalance; or an unacceptable amount of carbon monoxide content when the engine is subjected to high revs. 

Top 25 Most Common MOT Fail Reasons (all car models) in the UK from 2005-2025 

 4. Top MOT Faults By Fuel Type 

Diesel: The most common reasons that diesel cars fail their MOT are around the parking brake (or handbrake) not meeting the minimum braking force required to stop the car’s wheels from turning.

They are also more prone to wearing down their rear brake pads to an illegal limit, which can damage the disk brakes and prevent the car from being stopped effectively.

One of the top ten reasons a diesel car may fail its MOT, which isn’t as common in electric or petrol cars, is under code (8.2.2.2.(g)), which is where the engine MIL (better known as the check engine light) doesn’t come on at all, or stays on too long. 

Electric: For electric vehicles, the DVSA MOT records show that tyre issues dominate the top fail reasons; whether it’s the tyre tread being below the 1.6mm requirement, or the tyres having a cut or gash in them that is deep enough to pose a potential blowout risk.

The reasons for tyres causing MOT problems more for electric cars than petrol or diesel could be down to the fact that electric motors deliver torque instantly, and more aggressively than petrol or diesel engines.

EVs are also significantly heavier than their petrol and diesel counterparts, because of their large lithium-ion batteries, and this heavier weight could be increasing tyre wear. 

Petrol: Cars with a petrol engine have a mixed bag of frequent MOT fail reasons. Like diesel cars, parking brake efficiency is one for the top faults, as well as tyre tread depth.

However, petrol cars are more likely than diesel or electric cars to fail for having a problem with their windscreen washer not providing enough washer liquid, or for having illegal levels of carbon monoxide content in their exhaust emissions.  

Most Likely Age for Cars To Fail Their MOT 

Based on car models which have been manufactured since before 2020, and that have data for at least 5,000 MOT tests; petrol cars are most likely to go the longest stretch of time before failing their first MOT. 

6. Most Popular Time of Year for an MOT 

Tuesdays in October may be the busiest time of year to book an MOT according to the DVSA data. According to last year’s (2024) MOT records, the most popular times for an MOT test are as follows: 

• Most popular months: October (9.7%), March (9.6%) and September (9.2%) 

• Least popular month: December (6.2%) 

• Most popular day of the week: Tuesday (19.5%) 

 7. The Most Common MOT Faults In Popular Cars 

We analysed over 209 million MOT failure results to uncover why the five best-selling car brands from last year¹ are most likely to fail their MOT, and at what age they are most likely to fail. For each brand we have listed the three most popular fault MOT codes e.g. (3.7.B.7), followed by a short explanation of what the fault codes mean.  

VOLKSWAGEN: (3.7.B.7), (5.2.3 (e)) and (8.2.3) 

The most frequently recorded MOT fail for a Volkswagen car is the parking brake not meeting efficiency requirements, i.e. the handbrake is deemed unable to safely stop the car wheels from moving.

The next most common fault in Volkswagens is the front tyres being worn down to a tread of under 1.6mm, which is likely a result of many models (particularly Golf and Polo) being front-wheel drive, meaning the front tyres will bear the brunt of the car’s powerful acceleration and braking forces.

Many Volkswagens fail their MOT because the windscreen washer doesn’t provide enough liquid – this could be down to a number of factors, such as forgetting to refill it, or limescale buildup in hard water areas, rather than a manufacturing concern. On average, a Volkswagen fails its first MOT at eight years and five months. 

BMW: (5.2.3 (e)), (5.2.3 (d) (i)) and (3.7.B.7) 

Most BMWs are rear-wheel drive and so it stands to reason, along with their hard acceleration and 50:50 weight balance putting more workload on the back of the car, that is the most common reasons BMW cars fail MOT tests is down to the rear tyre treads either being below the 1.6mm requirement, or the rear tyres having a cut deep enough that it poses a blowout risk.

BMWs often fail MOTs because their parking brakes don’t meet efficiency standards. The average age of a BMW to fail its first MOT test is six years and eight months. 

AUDI: (5.2.3 (e)), (5.2.3 (d) (i)) and (4.1.E.1) 

Even with Audi’s precision engineering, their cars can still fail MOTs. The issues most frequently flagged in Audi cars are all associated with tyre wear, with the front tyres being the most common culprits for having worn down tread.

Most Audis have front-wheel drive, as well as more weight over the front axle which can accelerate tyre wear. As well as the tread depth eroding, the other top MOT fail reason for Audis are cuts in the tyre that could pose a blowout threat.

Many Audi models boast larger alloy wheels with low-profile tyres, and the lack of cushioning between the rim and the road could be making Audi tyres more vulnerable to damage from kerbs and potholes.  

KIA: (5.2.3 (e)), (3.7.B.7) and (3.4 (b) (ii))  

Kias may have a reputation for reliability, but MOT data shows the most common reason for failure is the nearside front tyre tread being worn down below the 1.6mm requirements, followed by the handbrake not performing efficiently enough to hold the car securely.

Most Kia cars are front wheel drive and can see heavy daily use as an affordable family car. Another frequent issue in Kia cars is the windscreen wipers not cleaning the windscreen properly – usually a simple fix but easily missed by owners. 

FORD: (3.7.B.7), 5.2.3 (e)) and (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) 

Handbrake faults often cause Ford MOT test failures, especially in older models with mechanical cable handbrakes. With most Ford cars being front wheel drive, it’s unsurprising to see that front tyre wear is the second most common MOT fault in Fords.

The third most frequent MOT fail for Ford cars is the wearing of the front tyre brake pads, which could be due to frequent stop-start driving during heavy commutes. 

8. Methodology and Sources 

¹ Top selling 2024 car brands according to data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) 

MOT data was gathered from the DVSA MOT API:

https://documentation.history.mot.api.gov.uk/mot-history-api/download-vehicle-mot-history-data/ The data covers 815,527,256 MOT tests for vehicles registered in Great Britain since 2005 and Northern Ireland since 2017. For MOT fails, 209,454,317 failure results were analysed, to provide this dataset. We simplified the brand names and models in the dataset to group model subvariants and aligned with models with policies used in quotes from MoneySuperMarket.