The most common MOT failures in the UK
DVSA publishes failure data every quarter. The same five areas top the list year after year, and most of them are visible on a driveway check.
Checked against the MOT inspection manual and GOV.UK guidance · Updated November 2026
In the latest DVSA figures, covering April to June 2026, more than 7.8 million MOT tests were carried out and 26.75% failed – more than one in four. These were the areas that most often caused a failure:
| # | Area | Share of all tests failed on it | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | ≈10% | Lights |
| 2 | Suspension | ≈8% | Suspension |
| 3 | Tyres | ≈7% | Tyres |
| 4 | Brakes | ≈6% | Brakes |
| 5 | Visibility | ≈4% | Visibility |
Source: DVSA MOT testing data, Q1 2026/27 (April–June 2026). Percentages are the share of all tests in which that area caused a failure; a car can fail on more than one area.
Below the top five come body, chassis and structure (mostly corrosion), noise, emissions and leaks, steering, seatbelts and restraint systems, and vehicle identification (number plates and VIN). The order hasn't changed much in a decade; in 2019, for example, lamps and electrics caused failures in 14.3% of tests, suspension 9.4%, brakes 7.8%, tyres 6.8% and visibility 5.5%.
Why lights top the list
Lighting faults are the most common because they're the easiest thing for a driver not to notice. You can't see your own brake lights, number plate lamp or rear fog lamp from the driver's seat. The good news: most lighting failures are a bulb costing a few pounds. Walk round the car with someone pressing the pedal before every MOT.
Why suspension is second
UK roads are hard on suspension. Pothole impacts crack coil springs (often at the bottom coil, where you can't see it), and rubber bushes perish with age. Suspension faults rarely give much warning – a knock over bumps, a clunk on full lock – which is why they're so common at test time.
Tyres and brakes: the dangerous ones
Tyres and brakes are only third and fourth by volume, but they produce most of the dangerous defects. Tyres below 1.6mm, cord showing, leaking brake pipes and badly imbalanced brakes are all faults that put the car off the road immediately.
Which cars fail most?
Failure rates climb steeply with age. Cars on their first MOT at three years old fail far less often than the average, while cars over ten years old fail significantly more often – and are more likely to fail on expensive items such as corrosion and emissions. High-mileage diesels used for short journeys are particularly prone to DPF and EGR-related emissions failures.
How many failures were avoidable?
DVSA has long said that a large share of failures are for things a driver could check: bulbs, tyre tread, wiper blades, washer fluid, the horn, number plates and dashboard warning lights. Ten minutes with our pre-MOT checklist is the cheapest way to improve your odds.