Go Compare has come up with a cracking piece of research, showing which brands are more likely to pass and fail an MOT test. It makes for interesting reading.
As Go Compare say, we all love lour cars, whether it’s our first runaround, or a rust bucket that you start with your fingers crossed – they are all subject to a yearly MOT to keep them safe and road-legal.
But is there any way to avoid the worry that comes with your car’s annual test? We’ve reviewed the UK’s vehicle pass rate history to find out which makes and models pass easily and which are more likely to fail.
They took their data from a randomly split sample of the Government records on test results from a sample of 3.6million records from 2021-22. This includes all MOT tests and outcomes, including make and model of vehicle, odometer reading and reasons for failure, since the MOT system was computerised in 2005. All statistics on this page relating to MOT pass and failure rates are sourced via this data unless otherwise stated.
Ten best car manufacturers for MOT pass rate:
Ferrari – 94%
Bentley – 91.6%
Porsche – 88.35%
Tesla – 87.08%
Lexus – 86.86%
Dacia – 84.96%
BMW – 84.11%
Audi – 83.7%
Skoda – 84%
Suzuki – 83.69%
Ten worst car manufacturers for MOT pass rate:
Chrysler – 72.48%
Chevrolet – 72.61%
Daihatsu – 72.22%
Saab – 73.85%
Renault – 74.55%
Citroen – 77.04%
Vauxhall – 77.18%
Isuzu – 78.24%
Peugeot – 78.41%
Fiat – 78.64%
Chrysler topping the list for worst pass rate may come as a surprise, as this manufacturer’s cars are not common fixtures on UK roads. In 2015, Chrysler announced they were pulling out of the UK market and the number of their vehicles on British roads has since dwindled. This may factor into why they are less likely to pass an MOT, as more of the cars being tested will be older models. Plus, parts may be harder to source due to a lack of demand, making repairs and maintenance more difficult.
Likewise, Japanese manufacturer Daihatsu has ceased sales in Europe, which could provide the same difficulties. Saab, a Swedish car manufacturer, is now defunct which again may explain its positioning in the bottom ten for MOT pass rate.
However, popular makes that are available in the UK such as Peugeot, Vauxhall and Fiat also appeared in the bottom ten. With so many of these cars in circulation in Britain, it begs the question: why are they more likely to fail their MOT than other manufacturers?