In short
- In 2024 to 2025, lamps were the commonest fail area: about 1 in 9 first-time tests (10.9%)[1]. Suspension, brakes and tyres came next.
- Tyres and brakes are where the most dangerous defects are found. Between them they made up 89.1% of dangerous defects (our sum of DVSA’s figures for first-time tests, 2024 to 2025)[1]. A dangerous defect means the car must not be driven until it is repaired[2].
- By single item, tyre wear is recorded most often at ages 3, 7 and 12. Most of those records are advisories, not fails (MOT Wise analysis of DVSA MOT results, 2025).
- A replacement tyre usually costs £80 to £300, and new brake pads £80 to £200. Both come from MOT Wise’s repair cost table, set from published garage price lists in the first half of 2026.
- These are national figures for groups of MOTs. They can’t say whether one car will pass. Its own MOT history can.
On this page
There are two ways to count, and they give different answers. DVSA counts the areas of the car where first-time tests fail. We count the single items that testers record most often at each age.
By area, lamps and electrical equipment come first. In 2024 to 2025, a fail there was found in about 1 in 9 first-time tests (10.9%)[1]. Almost all lamp fails are major, not dangerous (99% of them). Tyres and brakes are different. Between them they made up 89.1% of dangerous defects (our sum of DVSA’s figures for first-time tests, 2024 to 2025).
A fail here is a first-time result. Many cars are repaired and pass a retest, sometimes the same day. See how MOT retests work. The full table of fails by area is on MOT failure rates. For how the fail rate rises with age, see MOT failure rate by age.
Fails are only part of the record. Testers also note advisories, and a part can show up as an advisory before it fails. This lists the items recorded most often at three ages, at any level (MOT Wise analysis of DVSA MOT results, 2025)[3].
Tyre wear is recorded most often at all three ages. Worn brake discs are among the top five at every age shown, and worn brake pads at ages 3 and 7. Worn suspension bushes and corroded springs come up more on older vehicles. Most of these records are advisories or faults fixed during the test, not fails.
A fail or an advisory on these parts can turn into a repair bill. These are the usual ranges for four of the commonest repairs.
The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, all the way round[4]. A tyre with a bulge, or with cord showing, is a dangerous defect[4]. Brake discs and pads can be replaced together, so those two ranges can add up. If one suspension bush is worn, it is worth asking whether the others on that axle were checked.
- Tyres. Wear, cuts and bulges, and the legal limit. See MOT tyre rules.
- Brakes. Pads, discs, pipes and the roller test. See the MOT brake test.
- Suspension. Springs, shock absorbers, bushes and ball joints. See MOT suspension failure.
- Lights and warning lights. Bulbs, headlamp aim and dashboard lights. See MOT warning lights and bulbs.
- Rust. When corrosion fails a car, and where to look. See will rust fail an MOT.
- Faults that come together. Some areas are often recorded at the same test. See MOT faults that come in pairs.
- Before the test. Simple checks you can make yourself. See pre-MOT checks.
Knowing what is recorded most often shows you where to look, on the record and on the car. The figures on this page describe groups of MOTs. They can’t say whether this car will pass. Its own history can.
- Tyres first. Tyre wear is recorded most often at every age we show. Look at the tread across the tyre, the sidewalls, and whether the tyres match.
- Brake advisories. If the record notes worn pads or discs, ask when they were last replaced.
- Suspension knocks. Worn bushes and corroded springs are among the items recorded most often on older cars. Listen for knocks on a test drive. See the test drive checklist.
- Advisories, not just fails. The same advisory at test after test, with no repair in between, is worth a question. One that disappears may have been put right: ask what was done.
- Age is background. Fail rates rise with age, but a rate describes a group of MOTs, not one car. For a particular make and model, see our model pages.
For the whole job, before, at and after the viewing, see our used car buying checklist. To see what a good record looks like, read what a good MOT history looks like.
Common questions
What is the most common MOT failure in the UK?
By area, lamps and electrical equipment. In 2024 to 2025, DVSA found a fail there in about 1 in 9 first-time tests (10.9%) of cars and light vans. Most were major faults, such as a bulb that isn’t working. Tyres are the biggest source of dangerous defects, at 60.1% (DVSA, first-time tests of cars and light vans, 2024 to 2025). Counting single items instead, tyre wear is recorded most often at ages 3, 7 and 12, mostly as an advisory. That is our own count of all MOT-tested vehicles (MOT Wise analysis of DVSA MOT results, 2025).
What percentage of cars fail their MOT?
DVSA’s first-time fail rate for cars and light vans was about 3 in 10 first-time tests (28.1%) in 2024 to 2025. That counts only the first test of each MOT. Our own figures count every test, retests included, and show the rate rising with age (MOT Wise analysis of DVSA MOT results, 2025). Our guide to MOT failure rate by age has the figures by age and explains why ours count differently.
Which areas turn up most among dangerous defects?
Tyres, then brakes, then suspension. Of dangerous defects at first-time tests, tyres were 60.1%, brakes 29.0% and suspension 5.3% (DVSA, cars and light vans, 2024 to 2025). A dangerous defect is a direct risk to road safety. The car fails, and it is against the law to drive it until it is fixed.
How much does it cost to fix the most common MOT failures?
A replacement tyre usually costs £80 to £300, and brake pads £80 to £200. Brake discs cost £200 to £500, and a suspension bush or ball joint £100 to £350. Our table does not split one disc from a pair, so ask the garage which a quote covers. These ranges come from MOT Wise’s repair cost table, set from published garage price lists in the first half of 2026. They vary with the car, the garage and the parts, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.
Is an MOT advisory a fail?
No. An advisory is something the tester noticed that may need work soon. The car still passes. It is worth asking whether an advisory on a used car’s record was dealt with.
Sources
- MOT testing data for Great Britain. DVSA, 2026. Table DVSA/MOT/03: initial failures by defect category, cars and light vans, April 2024 to March 2025.
- MOT rule changes: 20 May 2018. GOV.UK (DVSA), 2018.
- MOT Anonymised (anonymised MOT tests and results). DVSA, 2026.
- MOT inspection manual: 5.2.3 Tyres. DVSA, 2026.
