At a glance
How 1,050 first tests went in 2025.
- Passed first time
- 84 in every 100
- Did not pass first time
- 16 in every 100168 failed first-attempt tests
- The typical car
- 4 yearsabout 31,708 miles
- First tests counted
- 1,050
How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.
Advisories
Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.
An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail.
Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)
Tyre tread depth (rear)
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
MOT pass rates
How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.
- Passed first time
- 84in every 100
- Passed on the first test.
- Fixed at the station
- 2in every 100
- Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
- Failed
- 14in every 100
- Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.
First-attempt pass 84.0% of 1,050 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 86.2%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 2 fixed and the 14 not fixed make the 16 in every 100 that did not pass first time.
Same model, other years
Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.
Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.
| Year | Passed first time | First tests |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 52 in every 100 | 437 |
| 2006 | 50 in every 100 | 430 |
| 2007 | 49 in every 100 | 489 |
| 2008 | 50 in every 100 | 416 |
| 2009 | 50 in every 100 | 363 |
| 2010 | 55 in every 100 | 568 |
| 2011 | 67 in every 100 | 2,005 |
| 2012 | 67 in every 100 | 1,945 |
| 2013 | 68 in every 100 | 2,027 |
| 2014 | 71 in every 100 | 2,551 |
| 2015 | 75 in every 100 | 2,773 |
| 2016 | 78 in every 100 | 2,683 |
| 2017 | 79 in every 100 | 2,828 |
| 2018 | 83 in every 100 | 2,662 |
| 2019 | 85 in every 100 | 4,526 |
| 2020 | 86 in every 100 | 1,428 |
| 2021 This car | 84 in every 100 | 1,050 |
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
About this data
How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.
These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.
What we include
UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.
Same-day repairs
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.
How we compare
We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.
What this does not cover
- MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
- Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
- Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
- If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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