MOTFaults
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What actually fails a car at MOT

MOT failures, ranked: 83 failure items, sorted by how often testers record them across 2023–2025 of DVSA results. The ten biggest account for 73.3% of every item written down in this list — and each item has its own page showing the models that fail on it most and what the repair typically costs.

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Suspension 22 items · 34.5% of recorded failures Tyres 7 items · 33.4% of recorded failures Brakes 12 items · 32.8% of recorded failures Lamps & electrics 16 items · 16.8% of recorded failures Emissions & noise 5 items · 8.1% of recorded failures Visibility 6 items · 7.7% of recorded failures Body & chassis 6 items · 7.6% of recorded failures Non-component advisories 4 items · 6.1% of recorded failures Identification 1 item · 2.8% of recorded failures Steering 2 items · 2.7% of recorded failures Road wheels 1 item · 1.0% of recorded failures Seat belts 1 item · 0.4% of recorded failures

All 83 failure items

Grouped by the section the tester records it under, biggest group first. Rank is overall across all 83 items, so it jumps between groups; the bar is relative to the most recorded item (17.4%).

“Recorded in” is the share of all MOT tests that record the item — a test can record several, so the column adds to more than 100%
Rank Failure item Est. cost
Suspension 22 items · 34.5% of recorded failures
5 Suspension pin or bush excessively worn £40–£150
8 Shock absorber leaking £30–£75
9 Coil spring corroded £25–£65
11 Ball joint excessively worn £18–£45
18 Sub-frame corroded £180–£450
22 Coil spring fractured or broken £25–£65
25 Linkage ball joint excessively worn £18–£45
30 Suspension arm corroded £35–£85
32 Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated £18–£45
38 Component mounting: prescribed area excessively corroded £180–£450
56 Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt £18–£45
58 Wheel bearings rough when rotated £20–£55
59 Linkage ball joint dust cover insecure £18–£45
60 Swivel pin or bush excessively worn £40–£150
61 Wheel bearings has excessive play £20–£55
63 Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated £18–£45
64 Linkage pin or bush excessively worn £40–£150
65 Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush £30–£75
74 Shock absorber has no damping £30–£75
75 Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function £30–£75
80 Sub-frame mounting corroded £180–£450
82 Suspension component corroded £180–£450
Tyres 7 items · 33.4% of recorded failures
1 Tread depth below 1.6 mm £45–£95
3 Tyre has a tear £45–£95
16 Tyre cut too deep £45–£95
19 Tread pattern not visible £45–£95
49 Tyre has a bulge £45–£95
50 Tyre cords exposed £45–£95
78 TPMS warning light on £45–£95
Brakes 12 items · 32.8% of recorded failures
2 Brake discs seriously weakened £45–£110
4 Brake pads under 1.5 mm £18–£45
7 Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded £80–£180
12 Brake discs worn £45–£110
17 Service brake binding £60–£150
42 Service brake fluctuating £60–£150
43 Brake hose ferrule corroded £25–£70
48 Brake efficiency below requirements £45–£110
54 Service brake imbalance across an axle £45–£110
69 Parking brake ineffective on one side £60–£150
72 Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated £25–£70
77 ABS warning lamp on £3–£15
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 16 items · 16.8% of recorded failures
10 Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) £5–£20
20 Position lamp not working £5–£25
27 Stop lamp not working £3–£12
31 Indicator incorrect colour £3–£12
34 Headlamp not working £5–£25
39 Headlamp aim incorrect £30–£80
44 Headlamp aim too low £30–£80
45 Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced £5–£25
46 Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) £5–£20
47 Headlamp lens slightly defective £5–£25
52 Headlamp aim too high £30–£80
71 Stop lamp partly not working £3–£12
73 Rear fog lamp not working £3–£15
76 Side repeaters not working £5–£25
79 Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier £60–£140
83 Position lamp partly not working £5–£25
Noise, emissions and leaks 5 items · 8.1% of recorded failures
6 Engine oil leaking excessively £200–£700
33 Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative £3–£12
53 Transmission oil leaks leaking excessively from transmission £200–£700
67 Lambda reading outside limits £60–£250
81 Emissions not tested unable to be completed £60–£250
Visibility 6 items · 7.7% of recorded failures
15 Windscreen damaged £80–£200
26 Wiper does not clear the windscreen £8–£22
35 Washer provides insufficient liquid £5–£15
40 Wipers blade defective £8–£22
57 Washers not working £5–£15
70 Mirrors slightly damaged £3–£15
Body, chassis, structure 6 items · 7.6% of recorded failures
13 Exhaust system leaking £45–£120
29 CV boot severely deteriorated £80–£250
36 CV boot split or insecure £80–£250
37 Exhaust system insecure £45–£120
62 Integral structure corroded £180–£450
66 Chassis corroded £180–£450
Non-component advisories 4 items · 6.1% of recorded failures
21 Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection £20–£80
24 Nail in tyre £45–£95
28 Play in steering rack inner joint £120–£300
55 Items removed from driver's view £20–£80
Identification of the vehicle 1 item · 2.8% of recorded failures
14 Registration plate inscription illegible £20–£80
Steering 2 items · 2.7% of recorded failures
23 Track rod end excessive play £18–£45
51 Track rod end dust cover damaged £18–£45
Road Wheels 1 item · 1.0% of recorded failures
41 Wheel badly distorted £20–£55
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 1 item · 0.4% of recorded failures
68 SRS warning lamp indicates a fault £3–£12

How to read this

These are the wording testers actually record, taken from the DVSA's anonymised test results rather than from a survey. A single test can record several items, so the shares do not add up to 100%. Costs are our estimate from typical UK parts prices and are labelled wherever they appear — how the cost estimates are built.

An item appearing often is not the same as a model being unreliable: far more Fiestas are tested than Ferraris, so the popular items are the popular cars. The per-item pages show the worst models as a rate, which is the fair comparison.