Common MOT failures

Common MOT failures by car model

Across 160 high-confidence model reports and 31,822,192 MOT tests, these are the named problem areas that appear most often. Use this page to spot broad patterns, then open the model report for mileage and recall detail.

#	Problem area	MOT notes	Models affected	What to check	High-rate examples
1	Corrosion and structure	7,857,168 MOT notes	160 models	Inspect sills, subframes, suspension mounts, brake pipes, and previous welding or rust repairs.	Ford Fusion, Suzuki Alto, Ford Transit
2	Suspension and steering	5,183,636 MOT notes	160 models	Listen for knocks, check uneven tyre wear, and ask whether worn joints or bushes have been replaced.	Peugeot 307, Peugeot 206, Vauxhall Vivaro
3	Lights and electrical	3,748,371 MOT notes	160 models	Test every exterior light, warning lamp, horn, washer, and basic electrical function before buying.	Peugeot 307, Toyota Corolla, Renault Kangoo
4	Emissions, engine, and exhaust	3,129,013 MOT notes	160 models	Check cold starts, exhaust smoke, warning lights, service history, and recent emissions repairs.	Peugeot 206, Fiat Punto, MINI MINI
5	Windscreen, wipers, and mirrors	2,473,615 MOT notes	160 models	Check the windscreen, wipers, washers, mirrors, chips, cracks, and whether the driver's view is clear.	Vauxhall Combo, Ford Transit Connect, Citroen Relay
6	Tyres and wheels	697,199 MOT notes	160 models	Look for matching tyres, legal tread, sidewall damage, wheel damage, and uneven wear.	Citroen Dispatch, Audi Q2, Citroen Relay
7	Brakes	9,045 MOT notes	148 models	Check for recent discs, pads, pipes, handbrake work, and any repeated brake imbalance advisories.	Renault Kangoo, Peugeot 206, Ford Fusion
8	Seatbelts and safety systems	104 MOT notes	9 models	Check belts retract cleanly, warning lights go out, and safety-system faults have not repeated.	Toyota Rav4, Mitsubishi Outlander, Honda Jazz

Counts are MOT problem notes, not failed vehicles. One MOT can include several notes.