Van MOT Fail Checker and MOT Fail Statistics Report

• Van most likely to fail an MOT: Nissan Primastar

• Van most likely to pass an MOT: Volkswagen Amarok

• Top van MOT fail reason: Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

MOT tests are required by law in the UK, meaning it’s illegal to drive without a valid test pass and doing so can invalidate your van insurance. As with cars, vans in the UK that are three or more years old must undergo an inspection each year to ensure that they meet the Ministry of Transport’s standards for emissions and safety.

The Ministry of Transport test (usually known as the MOT), checks the brakes, suspension and tyres as well as exhaust emissions to ensure that vehicles are safe and roadworthy.

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

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) records of every MOT that has taken place in Great Britain and Northern Ireland since 2005 and 2017, respectively, to the present (September 2025) are available to view on the UK government website.

We’ve filtered down over 815 million records to create a bespoke Van MOT Fail Checker to help you find out the most common MOT fail reasons for any van model, and the average age at which the model is most likely to fail its first MOT.

MoneySuperMarket’s 2025 Report: MOT Fail Statistics for Vans

Our new report has filtered down over 815 million UK MOT records, and analysed the results for vans specifically to reveal:

1. The Vans Most Likely To Fail Their MOT

2. The Vans Most Likely To Pass Their MOT

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

4. The Most Likely Age Vans Will Fail Their First MOT

5. The Most Common MOT Faults in Popular Van Models

6. Methodology And Sources

Vans Most Likely To Fail Their MOT

Using MOT records from the last 20 years, our data analysts have revealed which van models have the highest failure rates overall. Based on van models that have had over 10,000 total MOT tests since 2005, the Nissan Primastar is the van most likely to fail its MOT, with an overall average failure rate of 35% across all variants.

The Fiat Scudo follows in second at 34%, with the Vauxhall Astravan not far behind in third.

Nissan and Fiat both feature twice in the list of vans most likely to fail their MOT, with the Nissan Nv400 and Fiat Doblo completing the top ten.

Vans With The Highest MOT Fail Rate

The Vans Most Likely To Pass Their MOT

For vans that have each had over 10,000 total MOT tests since 2005, the data also reveals the models with the lowest MOT fail rate, i.e. the vans most likely to pass their MOT.

The Volkswagen Amaraok is revealed as the model most likely to pass, with a failure rate of 12.37%. Though not a ‘van’ in the typical sense, the Volkswagen Amarok was classed as a commercial vehicle until April 2025, with double-cab versions with a payload of one tonne or more now taxed as passenger cars under new tax rules.

The Mitsubishi L-200 follows in second with a 12.79% failure rate, with the Mercedes-Benz X placing in third.

Of the traditional vans, the Peugeot Expert ranks as the most likely to pass an MOT, with the Volkswagen Transporter just behind in seventh place.

Vans With The Lowest MOT Fail Rate

Top 25 Most Common Van MOT Fail Reasons (all van models)

According to DVSA vehicle history data, the efficiency of the parking brake falling below the required level is the most common MOT fail reason for vans. The nearside and offside registration plate lamps not working follow as the next most frequently cited fail reasons, followed by the nearside and offside windscreen wipers not clearing the windscreen effectively.

Handbrake failure was also revealed as the most common MOT issue in our analysis of car MOT test results, and can be easily missed by drivers, so it isn’t always spotted ahead of an MOT test.

While cars are also equipped with registration plate lamps that are inspected during MOT tests, this rarely results in failure, which contrasts with the higher frequency of such failures reported for vans. A registration lamp not working can be down to something as simple as a blown bulb, as well as faulty wiring or a blown fuse. A working registration lamp is a legal requirement and can carry a penalty of up to £1,000 if a registration plate is not sufficiently illuminated.

Though tyre depth falling below requirements ranked as the second, third and fourth most common MOT fail reasons for cars, it falls slightly lower down the list for vans, in seventh place, suggesting that van drivers may be more likely to keep up with their tyre maintenance and replacement.

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

Most Likely Age for Vans To Fail Their MOT

When looking at van models which have been manufactured for more than 5 years and have more than 5,000 records of MOT tests on the DVSA, it’s Volkswagen vans that are most likely to go the longest amount of time before failing their first MOT.

Toyota follows in second, with their vans making it to 11 years and 9 months old on average before first failing an MOT, followed by Fiat.

At the other end of the scale, MAN vans make it just 3 before failing an MOT for the first time on average.

Average Age of Vans When They First Fail an MOT, by Make

The Most Common MOT Faults In Popular Vans

Through our analysis, we’ve uncovered the reasons why the five best-selling van models¹ are most likely to fail their MOT. For each model we have listed the three most popular MOT fault reason codes e.g. (3.7.B.7), followed by a short explanation of what the fault codes mean.

Ford Transit: (3.7.B.7), (1.1.C.1d) and (2.4.A.3)

The most frequently recorded MOT fail reason for a Ford Transit van is the parking brake falling below the required efficiency requirements, in other words, the handbrake is deemed unable to safely stop the van wheels from moving. Following this, the nearside registration plate lamp not working is the next most common fault - which is also the third most common fail reason across all van makes and models. Corrosion of rear suspension springs and mounts is also much more common among these vans compared to other makes and models, with older generations of Transit vans notorious for rust.

Average age at first MOT fail: 10 years 6 months

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: (1.4.2 (a) (i)), (1.1.6 (c)) and (1.4.2 (a) (ii))

Though the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter also counts poor handbrake efficiency among the top fail reasons, excessive movement of the parking brake lever is cited as a fail reason much more often than for other van models. When securing a vehicle with the handbrake, the lever should be pulled until it’s tight; however, if the lever works too close to the end of its range of movement, this is a sign that the handbrake is excessively worn. Windscreen wiper inefficiency is also cited as a common fail reason, along with issues with the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL), also known as the engine warning light.

Average age at first MOT fail: 10 years 8 months

Toyota Hilux: (1.4.2 (a) (i)), (1.1.6 (c)) and (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Though the Toyota Hilux is a pickup, under tax rules until April 2025 both single and double-cab pick-ups were classified as commercial vehicles (or vans for the purposes of this study). Though the Hilux may be slightly different in its construction, it also falls foul of many similar top MOT fail reasons, including parking brake inefficiency. However, front brake pad wear is cited as a failure reason more often than in other van models, likely because of more towing, off-road work and farm driving. Likewise, tyre cuts are often cited as fail reasons, probably due to similar reasons if tyres have been more exposed to off-road terrain where rocks are able to damage the tyre walls.

Average age at first MOT fail: 3 years

Vauxhall Combo: (3.7.B.7), (4.1.E.1) and (4.1.E.1)

Compared to other van models, Vauxhall Combo variants are much more likely to see front tyre tread cited as a reason for failing an MOT. These vans are much smaller than many counterparts, so heavy loads could result in more pressure being exerted over the front wheels, leading to higher tyre wear.

Average age at first MOT fail: 9 years 8 months

Vauxhall Vivaro: (1.4.2 (a) (i)), (3.7.B.7) and (2.1.3 (b) (i))

As with other popular van models, parking brake efficiency is also a common issue for the Vauxhall Vivaro. However, excessive play in the track rod end ball joints is a frequently cited fault, also much more common than in other van models - this issue manifests as a loose or vibrating steering wheel and needs timely attention to avoid losing steering control. However, brake efficiency is also cited as both the second and sixth most common fail reasons.

Average age at first MOT fail: 9 years 6 months

Methodology and Sources

MOT data was gathered from the DVLA 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 the overall dataset. The datasets were then cross-referenced against the Government’s vehicle licencing statistics, with vehicles classed as ‘light goods vehicles’ included as vans for our purposes: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-licensing-statistics-data-files

The brand makes and models used throughout the dataset have also been simplified to group model subvariants.

¹https://www.whatcar.com/best/new-van-sales/n23754