High-mileage MOT risk

High mileage used car reliability by MOT data

Across cars over 100k miles, MOT failure risk is highest in the 150-200k band at 27.3%. Use this as a baseline, then check the exact model's mileage panels for its own pattern.

Data sources: DVSA MOT records, official recall records, and MOT fault wording snapshots (2026-04-27, 2026-04-29, rfr_codes_2025-05-12, failure items 2023). Search-indexed model pages must clear 20,000 MOT tests and 10,000 vehicles.

Mileage band	Failure rate	Tests	What to check before buying
0-50k	10.8%	14,528,762 tests	Check tyres, lights, recalls, early advisories, and whether mileage looks consistent with condition.
50-100k	20.7%	16,395,837 tests	Check brakes, tyres, suspension wear, service history, and first signs of emissions or warning-light issues.
100-150k	26.2%	7,936,701 tests	Check suspension joints, brakes, tyres, clutch feel, emissions history, leaks, and repeat advisories.
150-200k	27.3%	2,309,614 tests	Check corrosion, brake pipes, suspension mounts, emissions, engine leaks, and evidence of major maintenance.
200k+	26.6%	721,678 tests	Check structural corrosion, safety-critical MOT repeats, emissions, brake lines, suspension, and whether repairs match the mileage.