Daihatsu Copen MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Daihatsu Copen MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Daihatsu Copen passed on its first attempt in 72.9%, and its overall record sits −3.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Daihatsu Copen in the 2023–2025 data: 4,548 tests across 7 model years (2003–2009). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Daihatsu Copen MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Daihatsu Copen, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Daihatsu Copen's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Daihatsu Copen DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Daihatsu Copen, each with how many of the model's 4,548 tests it was noted on.

• "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 325 Daihatsu Copen tests, 7.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 160 Daihatsu Copen tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 83 Daihatsu Copen tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 79 Daihatsu Copen tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 72 Daihatsu Copen tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (Major) — noted on about 67 Daihatsu Copen tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Daihatsu Copen Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Daihatsu Copen model year on record is 2008 (82.6% across 922 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (71.5%). The gap between them is 11.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Daihatsu Copen reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.2 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Daihatsu Copen Owners

These checks follow this Daihatsu Copen's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Daihatsu Copen.

• corrosion — “component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”

  Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Daihatsu Copen. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Daihatsu Copen is most common

Across every Copen model year on record (2003–2009): 1,965 Daihatsu Copen cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 4,548 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 68 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Daihatsu Copen cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Daihatsu Copen MOT & Reliability