The most common MOT failures, by model

The short answer

Tyres are the top reason for failure on 29 of the 40 most tested models, and suspension wear on 11. Below is how often each model failed in 2025 and the three faults that failed it most.

These are the faults that fail real cars at the MOT, counted from 25.1 million tests in DVSA’s 2025 dataset. Use them to know what to look at before a car goes on the forecourt, and what a buyer will see on the record if it was missed.

Each figure is for all cars of that model tested in 2025, of every age. A ten-year-old car fails more than a three-year-old one; the report for a single car shows its own record.

The 40 most tested models

Ford Fiesta

27% failed, of 1,348,184 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Ford Focus

25% failed, of 891,804 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Vauxhall Corsa

28% failed, of 888,797 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

Volkswagen Golf

21% failed, of 867,120 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Mini Hatch

19% failed, of 646,748 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

Volkswagen Polo

27% failed, of 625,219 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Nissan Qashqai

27% failed, of 595,246 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

Vauxhall Astra

28% failed, of 579,904 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Toyota Yaris

20% failed, of 473,864 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

BMW 3 Series

21% failed, of 426,875 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Audi A3

20% failed, of 417,863 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

BMW 1 Series

19% failed, of 378,686 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

18% failed, of 358,651 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

22% failed, of 355,243 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

Fiat 500

27% failed, of 340,188 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Honda Jazz

19% failed, of 336,171 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

Nissan Juke

26% failed, of 325,064 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Ford Kuga

16% failed, of 309,002 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Renault Clio

37% failed, of 303,436 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

Kia Sportage

19% failed, of 298,237 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

Honda Civic

26% failed, of 258,563 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Toyota Aygo

19% failed, of 253,974 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

Volkswagen Tiguan

16% failed, of 253,542 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Vauxhall Mokka

25% failed, of 251,085 tests

  1. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Hyundai i10

21% failed, of 247,537 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A tyre seriously damaged
  3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

Audi A4

23% failed, of 241,912 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Nissan Micra

28% failed, of 234,341 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

Audi A1

21% failed, of 233,294 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Citroen C3

25% failed, of 229,085 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

20% failed, of 227,526 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

Skoda Fabia

24% failed, of 226,931 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Peugeot 208

23% failed, of 217,021 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Skoda Octavia

20% failed, of 199,796 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Honda CR-V

20% failed, of 193,144 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded

BMW 5 Series

18% failed, of 189,287 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Seat Ibiza

28% failed, of 188,214 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

Kia Picanto

23% failed, of 187,594 tests

  1. A tyre seriously damaged
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

Vauxhall Vivaro

35% failed, of 182,946 tests

  1. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play

Citroen Berlingo

31% failed, of 181,930 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
  3. A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

Seat Leon

20% failed, of 181,918 tests

  1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
  2. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
  3. A tyre seriously damaged

What to do with this

Before a car goes on sale, look at the faults its model fails on most, then at its own MOT record. If the same part has been noted at more than one test, a buyer will see that too. Show them what was done about it.

A full report lays out each part the MOT has noted, visit by visit, so a fault that keeps coming back is plain at a glance. See it on the sample report.

Frequently asked questions

Where do these figures come from?

The DVSA anonymised MOT dataset for tests taken in 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count every test we could match to a model with confidence and leave out the rest, so a model is only here when there were enough tests to say something honest.

Why failures and not advisories?

The figures count the defects that made a car fail its test. Advisories are recorded for each car too, and a full report shows every one of them for the car in front of you.

Can I use these figures on my own site?

Yes. Link to this page as the source. The underlying data is DVSA’s, under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Sources

Checked on 25th September 2026. This page explains the rules in plain English; it is not legal advice.

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