Recorded in
17.4% 7% fail
of every MOT test in our data — 19,339,175 records across 2,338 models.
Tyres → Tread depth below 1.6 mm
The Tread depth below 1.6 mm MOT failure is recorded in 17.4% of all MOT tests in the DVSA data — 19,339,175 records across 2,338 models. A typical repair costs £45–£95. This page explains what the item means, how testers write it down, what a repair usually involves and Ford S-Max records it most often for its size.
Advisory only
93%
were noted without failing the car.
Typical cost
£45–£95
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job. Estimate, fitted where needed. Parts only: £55–£85.
What Tread depth below 1.6 mm means on an MOT
Tread depth below 1.6 mm is an MOT inspection item in the tyres section of the manual. The tester records it when they see the condition the description names — here, when tread depth below 1.6 mm. The MOT standard for tyre tread is a minimum of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the width, around the full circumference. The failure is reported against that rule, so the page uses the tester's own wording.
How common is Tread depth below 1.6 mm on an MOT?
Recorded in 17.4% of every MOT test in our data — 19,339,175 records across 2,338 models. That is 17% in every hundred tests, which puts Tread depth below 1.6 mm among the most items testers record.
Of the 19,339,175 records for this item, 7.0% of the records are a fail (Major or Dangerous), 0.3% were put right at the test and recorded as rectified and 92.6% are advisories that did not fail the car.
Other things testers write about this item
Testers do not all write the same thing. These are the exact DVSA strings from the records for this item, each with how many tests it was written on — the page's keyword vocabulary comes straight from them.
What does it cost to fix Tread depth below 1.6 mm?
A typical repair on this item costs £45–£95 at UK prices, and it is usually a DIY or independent-garage job. The bracket is our estimate from reported prices and parts, rather than a DVSA figure — see how it is built on the method page.
How the price brackets are built · full repair cost list · add it to your fail-sheet total.
The part behind the price
Fitted, our bracket is £45–£95. The part itself is £55–£85. The price is mostly the part.
A tyre. The legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, and most tyres start at 8 mm, so this is the most ordinary replacement on the list.
What to buy
One per worn tyre, but replace in axle pairs: mixing a new tyre with a worn one on the same axle unbalances braking and is what a tester is looking for when he notes uneven wear.
| Tier | Brands | Parts price |
|---|---|---|
| Budget Fine in the dry; the difference shows in wet braking and noise. | Budget and own-brand ranges | £35–£55 |
| Mid-range typical The usual choice for a car doing average mileage. | Kumho, Falken, Uniroyal, Avon | £55–£85 |
| Premium Worth it if you keep the car and do motorway miles. | Michelin, Continental, Bridgestone, Goodyear | £85–£130 |
The premium tier can cost more than the whole typical bracket above. That is not a mistake in either figure: the bracket is a typical job, not a ceiling — and this is the point at which a quote tells you which part the garage is actually fitting.
Fitting it
DIY is possible with a second set of wheels, but most people pay £10–£20 a corner for mounting, balancing and disposal — which is why the fitted bracket starts at £45.
On the retest
Tread depth in the central three-quarters, plus sidewall condition and the spare if one is carried.
Parts prices are our survey of UK parts prices in 2025 money, for tread depth below 1.6 mm, and exclude delivery, VAT differences and the fitting — see how these figures are built.
Models that record Tread depth below 1.6 mm most often
As a rate of each model's own tests, Ford S-Max and Ford Grand C-Max lead the list: Ford S-Max records it on 27.4% of its tests. The rate, not the volume, is what matters here — a model with 20,000 tests can outrank one with a million.
| # | Model | Rate | Tests | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford S-Max | 27.4% | 276,065 | — |
| 2 | Ford Grand C-Max | 26.2% | 131,861 | — |
| 3 | Citroen DS4 | 26.1% | 40,514 | — |
| 4 | Ford Focus C-Max | 26.1% | 56,718 | — |
| 5 | Tesla Model 3 | 25.7% | 169,765 | — |
| 6 | Volvo V50 | 25.5% | 120,069 | — |
| 7 | Chevrolet Captiva | 25.4% | 23,583 | — |
| 8 | Volkswagen Touran | 24.9% | 272,345 | — |
| 9 | Honda Fr-V | 24.7% | 27,466 | — |
| 10 | Ford Galaxy | 24.6% | 225,566 | — |
| 11 | Renault Grand Scenic | 24.1% | 83,873 | — |
| 12 | SEAT Altea | 24.0% | 51,016 | — |
| 13 | Peugeot 407 | 24.0% | 35,494 | — |
| 14 | Fiat Fiorino | 23.7% | 31,353 | — |
| 15 | Vauxhall Insignia | 23.6% | 724,961 | — |
| 16 | Ford Transit Connect | 23.5% | 607,130 | — |
| 17 | Tesla Model X | 23.4% | 20,553 | — |
| 18 | Peugeot Bipper | 23.4% | 76,011 | — |
| 19 | Citroen Nemo | 23.2% | 54,480 | — |
| 20 | Mercedes-Benz Citan | 23.2% | 76,454 | — |
Which years of car record Tread depth below 1.6 mm
| Year | Recorded in |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 20.1% |
| 2011 | 20.1% |
| 2012 | 19.6% |
| 2013 | 19.2% |
| 2014 | 18.5% |
| 2015 | 17.6% |
| 2016 | 16.9% |
| 2017 | 16.1% |
| 2018 | 15.3% |
| 2019 | 14.2% |
| 2020 | 13.3% |
| 2021 | 13.6% |
| 2022 | 13.3% |
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2024 | 7.7% |
| 2025 | 1.0% |
These are rates by year of registration from 2010 to 2025, not year of test, so the curve mostly reflects age — a recent car has barely been to a test station. Compare models at the same age instead.
Frequently asked questions about Tread depth below 1.6 mm
How common is Tread depth below 1.6 mm on an MOT?
It is recorded in 17.4% of all MOT tests — 19,339,175 records across 2,338 models.
Does Tread depth below 1.6 mm fail the MOT or just get an advisory?
7.0% of the records for it are a fail, 0.3% were fixed at the test, 0.0% are minor and 92.6% are advisories. In short, it is an advisory or minor most of the time rather than a fail.
Which cars record Tread depth below 1.6 mm most often?
Ford S-Max and Ford Grand C-Max head the list, at a rate of each model's own tests — Ford S-Max records it on 27.4%. Only models with at least 20,000 recorded tests are shown.
How much does it cost to fix Tread depth below 1.6 mm?
Typically £45–£95 fitted, and it is usually a DIY or independent-garage job. That is an estimate from reported prices, not a DVSA figure.
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