MOT Monitor 2025

Edition 2. Figures on GB MOT test failures, based on open DVSA data covering 1 January 2025 through 31 December 2025.

Of the vehicles aged 3-5 years tested in 2025, 12.8% received at least one initial failure item. For vehicles aged 15-19 years, that share is 42.0%. The full tables are below and are free to cite with attribution.

Shifts compared with 2024

This edition (2025) compares GB MOT tests carried out in 2025 with tests carried out in the previous DVSA test year (2024). Both editions cover a single calendar year of testing.

Differences smaller than 1.0 percentage point fall within the normal year-on-year fluctuation of a single test year and are not highlighted.

AgePrevious editionCurrent editionDifference
3-5 years13.7% (841,819/6,130,355)12.8% (682,048/5,343,752)-1.0 percentage point
6-8 years20.4% (1,594,934/7,803,846)19.2% (1,437,618/7,506,386)-1.3 percentage point
9-11 years29.7% (2,106,162/7,088,930)28.1% (2,127,395/7,578,792)-1.6 percentage point
12-14 years38.0% (1,879,024/4,945,258)36.3% (1,900,839/5,235,643)-1.7 percentage point
15-19 years42.9% (2,185,527/5,094,916)42.0% (2,200,173/5,235,978)-0.9 percentage point
CategoryPrevious editionCurrent editionDifference
Suspension18.4%20.0%+1.6 percentage point
Brakes16.2%15.2%-1.0 percentage point
Visibility5.5%4.7%-0.8 percentage point
Tyres12.9%12.5%-0.4 percentage point
Noise, emissions and leaks2.0%2.2%+0.2 percentage point

Models that shifted, by age group

3-5 years

  • New in the highest failure share: Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner
  • Dropped from the highest failure share: Mercedes-Benz Citan, Renault ZOE
  • New in the lowest failure share: Honda Cr-V, Audi Q2
  • Dropped from the lowest failure share: Porsche 911, Porsche Cayenne

6-8 years

  • New in the lowest failure share: Porsche Cayman
  • Dropped from the lowest failure share: Porsche Boxster

9-11 years

  • New in the highest failure share: Renault Clio
  • Dropped from the highest failure share: Peugeot 5008

12-14 years

  • New in the highest failure share: Renault Kangoo
  • Dropped from the highest failure share: Chevrolet Captiva
  • New in the lowest failure share: Porsche Boxster
  • Dropped from the lowest failure share: Audi A7

Initial failure rate by age group

Share of MOT tests with at least one initial failure item (retests excluded), by vehicle age at the time of test. Based on the full GB MOT fleet.

AgeTestsWith initial failureShare
3-5 years5,343,752682,04812.8%
6-8 years7,506,3861,437,61819.2%
9-11 years7,578,7922,127,39528.1%
12-14 years5,235,6431,900,83936.3%
15-19 years5,235,9782,200,17342.0%

Most common defect categories

Share of categorised failure items in this category, weighted across the 258 models Plateop tracks. This is a share of failure items, not the chance that a vehicle fails its MOT: a vehicle can fail for more than one reason at once.

CategoryWith initial failureTestsShare
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1,583,8156,326,94325.0%
Suspension1,264,0266,326,94320.0%
Brakes963,1076,326,94315.2%
Tyres791,4106,326,94312.5%
Visibility298,5216,326,9434.7%
Body, chassis, structure215,9596,326,9433.4%
Noise, emissions and leaks141,0086,326,9432.2%
Steering83,5996,326,9431.3%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1,9466,326,9430.0%
Identification of the vehicle5206,326,9430.0%
Road Wheels4116,326,9430.0%

Models with the lowest and highest failure shares

Per age group, the three models with the lowest and the highest initial failure rate. Only models with at least 1,500 tests in that age group are included; small counts produce flukes and are therefore excluded.

3-5 years

Lowest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Porsche Macan11,3246.6%
Honda Cr-V15,9497.6%
Audi Q236,3047.8%

Highest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Renault Kangoo2,41528.0%
Citroen Berlingo16,51626.9%
Peugeot Partner17,54224.1%

6-8 years

Lowest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Porsche 9116,0205.5%
Porsche Cayman2,1915.9%
Porsche Macan13,9668.7%

Highest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Renault Kangoo7,54038.1%
Mercedes-Benz Citan8,47837.9%
Citroen Berlingo38,31936.7%

9-11 years

Lowest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Porsche 9114,9466.1%
Porsche Cayman3,2887.3%
Porsche Boxster3,5157.8%

Highest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Citroen DS325,59446.4%
Renault Kangoo10,25846.3%
Renault Clio72,01045.1%

12-14 years

Lowest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Porsche 9113,8736.6%
Porsche Boxster2,3038.8%
Porsche Cayenne4,95217.0%

Highest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Renault Trafic13,97852.1%
Renault Kangoo9,94051.0%
Renault Clio49,81150.9%

First MOT: the 2022 cohort

Vehicles first registered in 2022 reached the legal minimum age for their first MOT this test year. Among models with at least 1,000 tests in that cohort, the ten with the lowest and the ten with the highest initial failure rate:

Lowest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Toyota RAV47,0265.4%
Porsche Macan4,2496.3%
Audi Q210,7876.6%
Honda Cr-V5,0506.7%
Mazda CX-301,3937.0%
Volkswagen Golf1,9047.1%
Toyota Aygo1,5887.2%
Toyota Prius1,6847.6%
Volkswagen T-Cross3,6527.7%
Citroën C31,0307.8%

Highest failure share

ModelTestsShare
Ford Ranger15,07018.0%
Mercedes-Benz Vito1,64517.1%
Volkswagen Passat1,23514.8%
Peugeot 50081,02114.8%
Tesla Model 35,64014.8%
Hyundai Ioniq5,17314.8%
Kia Ceed3,91913.9%
Volkswagen Tiguan2,82613.6%
Kia Sportage2,78213.5%
Hyundai Kona4,96713.3%

Difference by fuel type

Initial failure rate per fuel type, within the same age group. Only compare within an age group: the fleet differs strongly in age per fuel type.

Fuel3-5 years6-8 years9-11 years12-14 years15-19 years
Anders28.9%35.4%
Benzine11.6%18.3%27.4%35.9%42.2%
Diesel17.3%21.1%29.1%37.0%42.1%
Elektrisch13.6%18.8%31.9%33.3%34.0%
Elektrisch/Diesel12.6%15.7%22.4%33.3%
Gas (bi-fuel)16.2%
Hybride10.4%14.5%19.8%25.5%32.2%
LPG35.9%36.3%

Method and definitions

  • Source: DVSA MOT test results, open data, test year 1 January 2025 through 31 December 2025.
  • A test counts as a test with an initial failure when at least one genuine defect was recorded on the FIRST test of that visit, DVSA's own initial test. A retest is never counted.
  • The fleet figures per age group come from the full GB MOT fleet, not filtered by make or model.
  • The category and model figures are measured across the 258 models from 28 makes that Plateop tracks (5,893 data cells). That is broad but not the entire fleet; the fleet figures above are the reference for that.
  • Models only qualify as outliers with at least 1,500 tests in the age group concerned. Age is the vehicle's age since its first registration date, not its year of manufacture: DVSA records a first use date, never a build year.
  • DVSA changed its defect category taxonomy in May 2018. This edition's category figures use only test results recorded under the taxonomy that applies to its own test year.
  • Editions are not changed after publication. This edition was compiled on 2 September 2026.

Year-on-year comparisons appear from the second frozen edition onward: every edition is frozen, so shifts can be demonstrated.

Using these figures

Free to cite with attribution; online, please include a link:

Source: Plateop MOT Monitor, plateop.com/pers

All editions and method