MOT pass rates by postcode area MOT pass rates by postcode area for all 118 areas of Great Britain,
drawn from 111,335,798 MOT tests — where you keep a car is one of
the strongest signals in the data, and it is not just because some areas have older cars. Each rate
below is adjusted to the national mix of model years and mileage, so London at 88.4% and Dundee at 72.5% are being compared on the
same cars.
Highest, like-for-like
London E
88.4% adjusted · 88.7% raw · 820,815 tests
Lowest, like-for-like
Dundee DD
72.5% adjusted · 74.5% raw · 500,625 tests
The gap
16.0 pts
14.2 before adjusting for age and mileage
What the numbers say
The gap does not come from older cars. Scotland's areas sit at the bottom even after every area is
given the same mix of model years and mileage bands (76.0% across Scotland's
16 areas), and 32 areas fall more than two points below what their car parc
predicts while 26 beat it by more than two. Adjusting for age and mileage makes the spread
wider , not narrower: the raw gap between the top and bottom area is 14.2 points, and 16.0 once the cars are made comparable.
The lowest raw rate belongs to Kirkcaldy (KY) at 73.9%,
which is why the table shows both columns. A raw rate tells you what a garage sees; the adjusted
rate tells you how the cars there are treated and maintained.
One honest limit: the DVSA extract carries the keeper's postcode area, not the test
station's. A car registered to a fleet in one area can be tested anywhere, and a single area contains
many towns. Treat these as regional signals, not street-level ones — method .
Every postcode area
Ranked by the age- and mileage-adjusted rate. National rate 81.0%.
# Area Region Adjusted Raw vs national Tests Stations Spend /100 Worst model gap 1 London E London 88.4% 88.7% + 7.4 820,815 121 £350 -1.1 2 Hayes UB South East 88.4% 88.3% + 7.3 607,344 111 £364 + 0.8 3 Ilford IG South East 87.5% 88.2% + 6.5 435,517 67 £374 -1.2 4 Enfield EN South East 87.4% 87.8% + 6.3 613,215 96 £389 -0.9 5 London N London 87.3% 87.2% + 6.2 687,468 108 £410 -1.1 6 Romford RM London 87.3% 87.7% + 6.2 833,363 134 £387 -2.0 7 Slough SL South East 86.7% 86.6% + 5.6 736,776 107 £442 -2.9 8 London SE London 86.6% 86.6% + 5.5 812,525 119 £422 -1.4 9 Wembley HA South East 86.5% 86.8% + 5.5 616,190 105 £415 -1.4 10 Croydon CR South East 86.1% 86.6% + 5.1 705,250 125 £428 -2.8 11 Dartford DA South East 86.0% 86.9% + 5.0 776,527 133 £415 -1.0 12 Hounslow TW South East 86.0% 86.6% + 4.9 759,500 123 £434 -6.0 13 Sutton SM South East 85.8% 85.8% + 4.8 236,285 41 £452 + 1.6 14 London NW London 85.5% 86.8% + 4.4 692,347 114 £422 -4.3 15 Luton LU East of England 85.4% 84.9% + 4.4 704,487 111 £474 -1.4 16 Birmingham B West Midlands 84.9% 84.7% + 3.8 3,318,297 612 £490 -3.0 17 Basildon SS East of England 84.8% 84.9% + 3.7 944,419 152 £487 -5.6 18 London SW London 84.2% 85.0% + 3.2 492,519 73 £495 -1.9 19 KINGSTON upon Thames KT South East 84.2% 85.3% + 3.1 867,995 129 £486 -3.5 20 Bromley BR South East 84.0% 86.4% + 2.9 376,107 59 £438 -6.0 21 London W London 83.9% 85.3% + 2.8 287,898 52 £483 -3.5 22 Blackburn BB North West 83.6% 83.4% + 2.6 940,232 200 £533 -4.5 23 High Wycombe HP East of England 83.5% 83.5% + 2.5 1,040,953 190 £540 -7.5 24 Maidstone ME South East 83.3% 83.0% + 2.2 1,165,087 190 £549 -5.8 25 Sheffield S Yorkshire 83.1% 83.0% + 2.1 2,475,160 497 £547 -5.5 26 Leicester LE East Midlands 83.1% 82.6% + 2.0 1,932,720 374 £569 -9.9 27 Chelmsford CM East of England 83.0% 83.6% + 1.9 1,294,660 224 £536 -7.3 28 Wolverhampton WV West Midlands 83.0% 83.1% + 1.9 739,695 156 £547 -5.3 29 Stourbridge DY West Midlands 83.0% 82.8% + 1.9 740,355 159 £555 -5.6 30 Coventry CV West Midlands 82.9% 82.8% + 1.9 1,603,416 301 £560 -5.3 31 Reading RG South East 82.6% 82.7% + 1.6 1,660,716 282 £570 -6.9 32 Stevenage SG East of England 82.6% 82.7% + 1.5 790,124 152 £560 -7.0 33 Derby DE East Midlands 82.5% 82.5% + 1.5 1,506,803 312 £568 -5.9 34 Peterborough PE East of England 82.5% 81.6% + 1.4 2,051,115 454 £606 -6.9 35 Manchester M North West 82.4% 81.9% + 1.4 1,634,654 323 £570 -5.1 36 Milton Keynes MK South East 82.3% 82.3% + 1.3 1,142,463 205 £574 -7.6 37 St Albans AL East of England 82.2% 83.4% + 1.2 486,430 70 £538 -8.5 38 Bradford BD Yorkshire 82.2% 81.7% + 1.1 995,210 239 £588 -9.3 39 Crawley RH South East 82.1% 82.0% + 1.0 1,137,667 192 £598 -6.3 40 Liverpool L North West 82.0% 82.5% + 1.0 1,204,786 230 £556 -5.0 41 Ipswich IP East of England 82.0% 80.6% + 1.0 1,321,255 292 £643 -8.5 42 Cambridge CB East of England 81.9% 81.1% + 0.9 777,845 159 £623 -8.4 43 Colchester CO East of England 81.8% 80.7% + 0.8 877,340 173 £635 -5.2 44 Wakefield WF Yorkshire 81.7% 81.7% + 0.7 1,003,576 217 £587 -8.5 45 Hereford HR West Midlands 81.6% 80.2% + 0.6 423,803 102 £666 -6.6 46 Worcester WR West Midlands 81.6% 81.0% + 0.6 654,479 132 £633 -8.5 47 Halifax HX Yorkshire 81.5% 81.5% + 0.5 283,942 68 £594 -6.9 48 Doncaster DN Yorkshire 81.5% 81.0% + 0.4 1,463,118 304 £610 -7.1 49 Oxford OX South East 81.5% 80.9% + 0.4 1,262,430 245 £632 -7.4 50 Oldham OL North West 81.4% 81.7% + 0.4 757,076 180 £577 -9.7 51 Ashford TN South East 81.4% 81.0% + 0.3 1,481,740 272 £632 -7.8 52 Shrewsbury SY West Midlands 81.2% 80.4% + 0.2 764,508 195 £645 -6.9 53 Southampton SO South East 81.2% 80.6% + 0.1 1,365,470 260 £640 -7.3 54 Bolton BL North West 81.1% 81.9% + 0.1 842,794 150 £571 -7.4 55 Dorchester DT South West 81.1% 78.2% + 0.1 443,984 109 £746 -6.1 56 Wrexham LL Wales 81.1% 79.6% + 0.1 1,089,431 272 £668 -9.1 57 Walsall WS West Midlands 81.1% 80.9% + 0.1 807,307 165 £611 -6.1 58 Dumfries DG Scotland 81.1% 81.4% + 0.0 267,855 77 £599 -7.0 59 Guildford GU South East 81.0% 81.1% -0.0 1,505,414 245 £630 -6.5 60 Preston PR North West 81.0% 81.4% -0.1 1,031,566 213 £605 -8.0 61 Norwich NR East of England 80.9% 79.6% -0.2 1,558,503 318 £673 -8.3 62 Taunton TA South West 80.8% 78.4% -0.2 737,744 179 £736 -9.6 63 Durham DH North East 80.8% 81.4% -0.3 556,442 119 £584 -10.8 64 Canterbury CT South East 80.8% 79.9% -0.3 868,597 180 £659 -8.1 65 Middlesbrough TS North East 80.5% 80.6% -0.6 1,048,251 212 £609 -9.3 66 Telford TF West Midlands 80.4% 79.6% -0.6 430,164 74 £656 -9.5 67 Swindon SN South West 80.3% 79.5% -0.7 1,005,942 205 £679 -9.0 68 NEWCASTLE upon Tyne NE North East 80.3% 81.1% -0.8 1,877,837 398 £595 -8.7 69 Kendal LA North West 80.2% 79.9% -0.8 621,143 142 £661 -8.1 70 Warrington WA North West 80.2% 81.5% -0.9 1,153,798 217 £588 -9.2 71 Crewe CW North West 80.1% 81.1% -0.9 679,601 135 £609 -10.0 72 Northampton NN East Midlands 80.1% 79.8% -1.0 1,506,455 283 £651 -7.4 73 Kirkwall KW Scotland 80.0% 80.3% -1.0 95,224 29 £632 -1.9 74 Carlisle CA North West 80.0% 80.7% -1.0 673,064 180 £632 -10.9 75 Nottingham NG East Midlands 80.0% 79.6% -1.1 2,113,239 442 £658 -8.8 76 Watford WD South East 80.0% 81.5% -1.1 444,409 64 £598 -9.1 77 Stockport SK North West 79.7% 81.3% -1.3 1,121,159 229 £607 -7.8 78 Gloucester GL South West 79.7% 78.4% -1.3 1,411,780 283 £723 -10.8 79 Wigan WN North West 79.7% 80.2% -1.4 530,062 90 £628 -9.1 80 Poole BH South West 79.6% 78.7% -1.4 1,184,688 215 £717 -8.6 81 Stornoway HS Scotland 79.4% 79.7% -1.6 49,977 12 £648 — 82 Newport NP Wales 79.3% 78.6% -1.7 1,005,196 206 £692 -9.9 83 Chester CH North West 79.2% 79.4% -1.8 1,271,526 236 £659 -10.5 84 Darlington DL North East 79.2% 79.4% -1.9 662,694 164 £653 -13.0 85 Berwick Upon Tweed TD Scotland 79.1% 80.1% -1.9 220,153 70 £633 -6.3 86 Swansea SA Wales 79.1% 78.8% -2.0 1,451,467 330 £693 -9.6 87 Leeds LS Yorkshire 79.0% 79.4% -2.0 1,268,672 248 £657 -11.2 88 Portsmouth PO South East 79.0% 78.1% -2.0 1,640,204 294 £731 -10.1 89 Yeovil BA South West 79.0% 77.3% -2.1 988,901 197 £762 -12.1 90 Harrogate HG Yorkshire 78.9% 81.0% -2.1 311,838 74 £625 -5.5 91 Stoke On Trent ST West Midlands 78.8% 79.2% -2.2 1,276,965 252 £672 -8.7 92 Newton Abbot TQ South West 78.8% 76.4% -2.2 594,894 137 £804 -12.1 93 Blackpool FY North West 78.5% 78.4% -2.6 488,884 104 £699 -10.4 94 Salisbury SP South West 78.5% 76.7% -2.6 554,138 119 £778 -13.8 95 Cardiff CF Wales 78.4% 78.3% -2.6 1,880,061 374 £694 -11.0 96 Brighton BN South East 78.4% 77.8% -2.6 1,394,382 236 £742 -9.6 97 Huddersfield HD Yorkshire 78.3% 79.5% -2.7 467,697 104 £664 -13.8 98 Exeter EX South West 78.3% 76.2% -2.7 1,328,327 312 £806 -12.8 99 Brecon LD Wales 78.3% 76.4% -2.7 102,421 30 £779 + 4.0 100 York YO Yorkshire 78.3% 78.5% -2.8 1,099,417 263 £695 -11.6 101 Lincoln LN East Midlands 78.1% 77.6% -2.9 665,690 151 £730 -13.9 102 Plymouth PL South West 77.9% 75.6% -3.1 1,218,764 255 £810 -12.7 103 Bristol BS South West 77.9% 77.2% -3.2 2,020,936 360 £746 -12.8 104 Glasgow G Scotland 77.7% 79.8% -3.4 1,825,203 363 £629 -11.7 105 Hull HU Yorkshire 77.6% 77.8% -3.4 808,963 194 £702 -13.1 106 Truro TR South West 77.6% 75.3% -3.4 719,477 154 £846 -12.5 107 Sunderland SR North East 77.6% 78.4% -3.5 392,007 77 £675 -13.3 108 Ayr KA Scotland 77.2% 79.3% -3.8 617,150 148 £649 -12.8 109 Lerwick ZE Scotland 77.0% 79.8% -4.0 41,775 9 £640 — 110 Inverness IV Scotland 76.7% 78.3% -4.3 502,298 121 £699 -11.0 111 Hamilton ML Scotland 76.4% 78.8% -4.7 581,599 136 £660 -15.3 112 Edinburgh EH Scotland 75.8% 77.9% -5.2 1,472,919 302 £696 -14.3 113 Paisley PA Scotland 75.8% 78.2% -5.2 537,708 117 £682 -11.7 114 Stirling FK Scotland 75.5% 78.2% -5.6 504,446 112 £684 -14.1 115 Perth PH Scotland 75.3% 77.3% -5.8 347,342 95 £734 -12.8 116 Aberdeen AB Scotland 74.1% 76.3% -6.9 921,197 214 £752 -16.3 117 Kirkcaldy KY Scotland 72.8% 73.9% -8.3 689,760 156 £815 -18.6 118 Dundee DD Scotland 72.5% 74.5% -8.6 500,625 110 £799 -15.5
“Stations” counts MOT test stations licensed for class 4 (cars, vans, motorhomes) in that postcode
area, from the DVSA's published list of active stations. It is context, not a ranking: the anonymised
test data has no station field, so no garage is being judged here. “Worst model gap” is the model year
where this area falls furthest behind the same model year nationally — hover or tap through for the
model, or read the full comparison .
Cheapest cars to get through an MOT Same car, different postcode → What actually fails →
