Age-related MOT risk

Common MOT failures by car age

MOT risk rises as cars age. In the fleet baseline, 15+ years has the highest recorded failure rate at 25.9%. Use this to judge whether a fault looks age-typical or unusually early.

Statistics are built from DVSA MOT tests carried out in calendar year 2023, plus official recall records and MOT fault wording data. Report index generated 2026-05-09.

Age band	Failure rate	Tests	What to check before buying
0-3 years	8.4%	1,762,480 tests	Check tyres, lights, recalls, and evidence of accident or misuse; serious wear is less expected at this age.
3-6 years	10.6%	8,392,449 tests	Check tyres, brakes, first advisories, missed servicing, and whether early failures repeat.
6-10 years	16.6%	12,630,130 tests	Check brakes, suspension, emissions, tyres, wipers, and whether advisories were repaired before sale.
10-15 years	23.5%	11,148,543 tests	Check corrosion, brake pipes, suspension joints, warning lights, emissions, and repeated MOT notes.
15+ years	25.9%	8,283,118 tests	Inspect structure, corrosion repairs, suspension mounts, brake lines, emissions history, and safety-critical repeats.

Age bands describe MOT records in the fleet baseline. Use the exact model report for model-specific problem areas and recalls.