Cheap runners: cars most and least likely to pass an MOT test


Updated on 04 October 2023 | 4 Comments

New data reveals which cars are most likely to pass an MOT and those most likely to fail.

Taking your car for a MOT is a stressful experience, no matter what car you have or how long you’ve had it.

But the truth is that your experience can differ sharply depending on precisely what you drive.

After all, while some cars have a fantastic record at passing the test, others have a patchier record.

Now leasing comparison site LeaseLoco has dug into data obtained from the DVSA through a Freedom of Information request to pick out which cars perform best in the tests, and which have room for improvement.

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The best and worst car models

First, let’s take a look at the individual car models with the best pass record in 2023.

Importantly the breakdown focuses only on those cars where there were at least 1,000 MOTs carried out across the year.

Car

Number of MOTs (2023)

Number of passes

Number of fails

Pass rate

Lexus UX

1,195

1,140

55

95.4%

Lexus RX

1,231

1,153

78

93.7%

Porsche Macan

2,986

2,790

196

93.4%

Ford Puma

1,493

1,394

99

93.4%

Volkswagen T-Cross

1,816

1,667

149

91.8%

Audi Q2

14,301

13,106

1,195

91.6%

Lexus NX

4,692

4,295

397

91.5%

Volkswagen T-Roc

15,352

13,964

1,388

91.0%

Jaguar I-Pace

1,532

1,391

141

90.8%

Skoda Karoq

8,484

7,702

782

90.8%


The first thing that jumps out from this list is the performance of Lexus, which accounts for three of the 10 motors with the best pass record.

Indeed with Porsche, Audi and Jaguar also making the list there’s apparently some benefit to opting for a premium manufacturer.

Now let’s take a look at those with the worst pass records:

Car 

Number of MOTs (2023)

Number of passes

Number of fails

Pass rate

Peugeot 307

5,521

2,664

2,857

48.3%

Citroen Xsara

3,061

1,481

1,580

48.4%

Renault Grand Scenic

1,271

640

631

50.4%

Peugeot 207

46,623

23,587

23,036

50.6%

Volkswagen Beetle

1,870

965

905

51.6%

Hyundai Getz

2,765

1,438

1,327

52.0%

Volkswagen Fox

4,792

2,512

2,280

52.4%

Ford Focus C-Max

1,867

981

886

52.5%

Peugeot 206

11,521

6,609

5,452

52.7%

Renault Megane

19,574

10,336

9,238

52.8%


Clearly, a pass rate of around one in two is absolutely brutal. Peugeot is a regular name here, with three of the models in the list, while Volkswagen and Renault have two each. 

Ford is the only manufacturer to have a model in both the top and bottom list.

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The best and worst manufacturers for MOT passes

However, those are only isolated examples. What about when you take a manufacturer’s entire line and see how they perform consistently across MOT tests?

These are the five names with the best and worst records according to LeaseLoco’s analysis, and it once again highlights the fact that you do get a little more reliability with a premium name.

Manufacturer

Pass rate

Manufacturer

Pass rate

Ferrari

89.9%

Citroen

64.9%

Bentley

89.6%

Alfa Romeo

64.2%

Aston Martin

89.5%

Renault

63%

Porsche

88.9%

Chrysler

62.2%

Lexus

87.7%

Chevrolet

55.4%


Improving your chances of passing

Unfortunately, this research doesn’t tell us precisely why these motors have come up short in the MOT tests.

But there are certain common reasons for failures that you can act on before heading off to the test to boost your chances of a pass.

For example, an awful lot of cars each year fail their MOT because the windscreen wiper doesn’t clear the screen properly.

All the testers are looking for is that the wipers can clear water quickly without leaving any untouched areas or smears, which will damage your visibility.

This can easily be avoided by testing your wipers properly at home, well in advance of the test. And getting substandard wipers replaced will work out at a fraction of the cost of having multiple MOTs.

Another very common reason for failure is your headline amp being out of alignment, and again it’s something you can check at home.

Line your car up with the beams on against a wall or garage door and mark where the centre of the beams is. Then reverse back a few metres and check the centre of the beam remains in the same place and that they are level.

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*This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently.

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