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Most common MOT failures in 2025

33,208,360 initial MOT tests in 2025, retests not counted · every class 4 vehicle · DVSA data · For guidance only · How we count

27.7% of initial MOT tests in 2025 failed: 9,193,164 of 33,208,360. The most common failure area was lights and electrics: 38.2% of failed tests had at least one fault there. Next came suspension (32.4%), tyres (22.5%) and brakes (22.4%).

A failed test can have faults in several areas, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Repairs made at the test centre within an hour count as a fail.

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Failure areas, all vehicles

Share of the 9,193,164 failed tests with at least one failure in each area. The right-hand column is the number of failed tests.

  1. Lights and electrics38.2% of failed tests3,511,370 failed tests
  2. Suspension32.4% of failed tests2,975,886 failed tests
  3. Tyres22.5% of failed tests2,068,340 failed tests
  4. Brakes22.4% of failed tests2,063,773 failed tests
  5. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors15.6% of failed tests1,437,899 failed tests
  6. Body, chassis, structure11.8% of failed tests1,087,102 failed tests
  7. Noise, emissions, leaks11.2% of failed tests1,028,529 failed tests
  8. Steering7.1% of failed tests649,060 failed tests
  9. Seat belts and airbags3.5% of failed tests319,054 failed tests
  10. Wheels1.4% of failed tests126,976 failed tests
  11. Number plates and VIN1.2% of failed tests109,473 failed tests
  12. Seat belt installation<0.1% of failed tests1,634 failed tests
  13. Speedometer and speed limiter<0.1% of failed tests1,385 failed tests
  14. Bus and coach checks<0.1% of failed tests560 failed tests

What usually fails in each area

From the DVSA's MOT inspection manual. The faults that came up most often in these 2025 tests come first.

Failure areas by car age

Age here is 2025 minus the year the vehicle was first used, so a car first used in 2022 counts as 3 years old. The most common failure area was tyres for vehicles under 10 years old, and lights and electrics for vehicles 10 years old and over. The share of tests that failed was lowest for vehicles under 3 years old (7.8%) and highest for vehicles 15 to 19 years old (42.0%).

Agefirst used inFailedMost common area
Under 3 years2023 or later7.8%Tyres41.0%
3 to 5 years2020 to 202212.8%Tyres39.2%
6 to 9 years2016 to 201920.7%Tyres28.2%
10 to 14 years2011 to 201533.1%Lights and electrics39.1%
15 to 19 years2006 to 201042.0%Lights and electrics48.0%
20 years and over2005 or earlier39.0%Lights and electrics49.1%

Failed: share of the group's initial MOT tests that failed. Most common area: with the share of failed tests that had a failure there. Each group's test counts are below.

Under 3 years old

First used in 2023 or later · 140,013 initial MOT tests, 10,976 failed (7.8%) · Most vehicles first need an MOT by the third anniversary of their registration, so this group is small.

  1. Tyres41.0% of failed tests, against 22.5% for all ages4,502 failed tests
  2. Lights and electrics27.6% of failed tests, against 38.2% for all ages3,024 failed tests
  3. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors17.5% of failed tests, against 15.6% for all ages1,922 failed tests
  4. Brakes9.9% of failed tests, against 22.4% for all ages1,087 failed tests
  5. Suspension6.5% of failed tests, against 32.4% for all ages714 failed tests

Some first-use years in this group had fewer than 50 failed tests in an area, and we don't publish those counts. So these shares could be up to 0.5 points higher.

Not shown for this age group, because too few failures were published to give a reliable figure: seat belts and airbags; noise, emissions, leaks; body, chassis, structure; wheels; number plates and VIN; steering; bus and coach checks; seat belt installation; speedometer and speed limiter.

3 to 5 years old

First used in 2020 to 2022 · 5,355,611 initial MOT tests, 683,327 failed (12.8%)

  1. Tyres39.2% of failed tests, against 22.5% for all ages268,090 failed tests
  2. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors23.1% of failed tests, against 15.6% for all ages158,068 failed tests
  3. Lights and electrics21.9% of failed tests, against 38.2% for all ages149,913 failed tests
  4. Brakes14.9% of failed tests, against 22.4% for all ages102,025 failed tests
  5. Suspension8.3% of failed tests, against 32.4% for all ages56,961 failed tests
  6. Noise, emissions, leaks4.7% of failed tests, against 11.2% for all ages32,190 failed tests
  7. Seat belts and airbags2.6% of failed tests, against 3.5% for all ages17,795 failed tests
  8. Body, chassis, structure2.5% of failed tests, against 11.8% for all ages17,191 failed tests
  9. Number plates and VIN1.6% of failed tests, against 1.2% for all ages10,819 failed tests
  10. Wheels1.3% of failed tests, against 1.4% for all ages8,838 failed tests
  11. Steering1.3% of failed tests, against 7.1% for all ages8,664 failed tests
  12. Seat belt installation<0.1% of failed tests, against <0.1% for all ages198 failed tests

Not shown for this age group, because too few failures were published to give a reliable figure: bus and coach checks; speedometer and speed limiter.

3-year-old cars ranked by MOT pass rate5-year-old cars ranked by MOT pass rate

6 to 9 years old

First used in 2016 to 2019 · 10,201,256 initial MOT tests, 2,112,362 failed (20.7%)

  1. Tyres28.2% of failed tests, against 22.5% for all ages596,041 failed tests
  2. Lights and electrics27.5% of failed tests, against 38.2% for all ages581,796 failed tests
  3. Suspension23.2% of failed tests, against 32.4% for all ages490,460 failed tests
  4. Brakes19.5% of failed tests, against 22.4% for all ages410,988 failed tests
  5. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors15.5% of failed tests, against 15.6% for all ages327,160 failed tests
  6. Noise, emissions, leaks9.1% of failed tests, against 11.2% for all ages191,799 failed tests
  7. Body, chassis, structure6.4% of failed tests, against 11.8% for all ages135,471 failed tests
  8. Steering5.2% of failed tests, against 7.1% for all ages108,896 failed tests
  9. Seat belts and airbags2.2% of failed tests, against 3.5% for all ages45,937 failed tests
  10. Wheels1.5% of failed tests, against 1.4% for all ages31,094 failed tests
  11. Number plates and VIN1.1% of failed tests, against 1.2% for all ages23,860 failed tests
  12. Seat belt installation<0.1% of failed tests, against <0.1% for all ages331 failed tests

Not shown for this age group, because too few failures were published to give a reliable figure: bus and coach checks; speedometer and speed limiter.

7-year-old cars ranked by MOT pass rate

10 to 14 years old

First used in 2011 to 2015 · 10,152,419 initial MOT tests, 3,359,472 failed (33.1%)

  1. Lights and electrics39.1% of failed tests, against 38.2% for all ages1,314,213 failed tests
  2. Suspension36.3% of failed tests, against 32.4% for all ages1,219,500 failed tests
  3. Brakes21.8% of failed tests, against 22.4% for all ages731,870 failed tests
  4. Tyres21.2% of failed tests, against 22.5% for all ages711,843 failed tests
  5. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors13.7% of failed tests, against 15.6% for all ages461,371 failed tests
  6. Body, chassis, structure11.1% of failed tests, against 11.8% for all ages372,124 failed tests
  7. Noise, emissions, leaks10.4% of failed tests, against 11.2% for all ages350,565 failed tests
  8. Steering8.0% of failed tests, against 7.1% for all ages267,303 failed tests
  9. Seat belts and airbags2.8% of failed tests, against 3.5% for all ages92,835 failed tests
  10. Wheels1.4% of failed tests, against 1.4% for all ages47,554 failed tests
  11. Number plates and VIN1.0% of failed tests, against 1.2% for all ages33,554 failed tests
  12. Seat belt installation<0.1% of failed tests, against <0.1% for all ages488 failed tests

Not shown for this age group, because too few failures were published to give a reliable figure: bus and coach checks; speedometer and speed limiter.

10-year-old cars ranked by MOT pass rate

15 to 19 years old

First used in 2006 to 2010 · 5,242,552 initial MOT tests, 2,201,993 failed (42.0%)

  1. Lights and electrics48.0% of failed tests, against 38.2% for all ages1,057,067 failed tests
  2. Suspension41.0% of failed tests, against 32.4% for all ages901,803 failed tests
  3. Brakes25.6% of failed tests, against 22.4% for all ages562,684 failed tests
  4. Tyres17.2% of failed tests, against 22.5% for all ages378,822 failed tests
  5. Body, chassis, structure17.1% of failed tests, against 11.8% for all ages376,976 failed tests
  6. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors15.5% of failed tests, against 15.6% for all ages342,375 failed tests
  7. Noise, emissions, leaks14.2% of failed tests, against 11.2% for all ages312,943 failed tests
  8. Steering8.2% of failed tests, against 7.1% for all ages180,146 failed tests
  9. Seat belts and airbags4.6% of failed tests, against 3.5% for all ages102,184 failed tests
  10. Wheels1.4% of failed tests, against 1.4% for all ages31,207 failed tests
  11. Number plates and VIN1.2% of failed tests, against 1.2% for all ages27,295 failed tests
  12. Seat belt installation<0.1% of failed tests, against <0.1% for all ages379 failed tests

Not shown for this age group, because too few failures were published to give a reliable figure: speedometer and speed limiter; bus and coach checks.

15-year-old cars ranked by MOT pass rate

20 years old and over

First used in 2005 or earlier · 2,116,509 initial MOT tests, 825,034 failed (39.0%)

  1. Lights and electrics49.1% of failed tests, against 38.2% for all ages405,059 failed tests
  2. Suspension37.1% of failed tests, against 32.4% for all ages306,091 failed tests
  3. Brakes30.9% of failed tests, against 22.4% for all ages254,749 failed tests
  4. Body, chassis, structure22.4% of failed tests, against 11.8% for all ages184,586 failed tests
  5. Windscreen, wipers, mirrors17.8% of failed tests, against 15.6% for all ages146,690 failed tests
  6. Noise, emissions, leaks17.0% of failed tests, against 11.2% for all ages140,537 failed tests
  7. Tyres13.2% of failed tests, against 22.5% for all ages108,712 failed tests
  8. Steering10.1% of failed tests, against 7.1% for all ages83,323 failed tests
  9. Seat belts and airbags7.2% of failed tests, against 3.5% for all ages59,594 failed tests

Some first-use years in this group had fewer than 50 failed tests in an area, and we don't publish those counts. So these shares could be up to 0.2 points higher.

Not shown for this age group, because too few failures were published to give a reliable figure: number plates and VIN; wheels; speedometer and speed limiter; seat belt installation; bus and coach checks.

How these figures are counted

Tests
Every initial MOT test in 2025 on a class 4 vehicle (cars, passenger vehicles with up to 8 seats, goods vehicles up to 3,000 kg): 33,208,360 tests. Retests are not counted. Unlike our model pages, there is no minimum per model, so every make and model is in, vans included.
Failed
A test with at least one major or dangerous defect. Repairs made at the test centre within an hour (PRS) count as a fail, as in the DVSA's own figures. Minor defects and advisories don't fail a test.
Areas
The DVSA's own top-level groups in its MOT data. They follow the inspection manual's sections, with a few moves: wheel bearings are under suspension, the horn under lights, and exhaust noise under body. A test counts once in each area it failed in.
Age groups
The all-vehicle figures are exact. For a single first-use year, we only publish an area with at least 50 failed tests, as on model pages. So an area is shown for an age group only when the unpublished years could leave it at most 10% short.
Odd dates
28 tests have a first-use year before 1900. The earliest is recorded as the year 13. These are almost certainly recording errors. They are in the totals and in the 20 years and over group.
Sources
Figures: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. What usually fails: MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles, GOV.UK, read 1 Nov 2026, with faults ordered by how often they came up in these tests. When an MOT is due: GOV.UK, Getting an MOT.

An MOT checks safety and emissions on the day of the test. These figures say where failures were found, not what a repair costs.

More from the same data

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