Family cars with the highest MOT pass rates

Family hatchbacks, saloons and estates ranked by MOT pass rate from real 2024 test data.

#	Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
1	Toyota Corolla Icon Hev Cvt	11,099	94.6%	36,796
2	Toyota Corolla Design Hev Cvt	10,885	94.1%	34,073
3	Volkswagen Golf Life Tsi	19,030	94%	32,348
4	Toyota Corolla Icon Tech Hev Cvt	20,640	93.8%	44,778
5	Volkswagen Golf Match Edition Tsi Evo	12,814	93.7%	33,149
6	Audi A3 S Line 35 Tfsi Mhev S-A	9,699	93.6%	27,642
7	Volkswagen E-Golf	10,892	90.4%	34,174
8	Bmw 1 Series	147,739	88.1%	71,480
9	Mercedes-Benz A-Class	447,325	84.8%	69,989
10	Seat Leon	278,381	84.7%	82,921
11	Skoda Superb	93,726	84.7%	98,201
12	Audi A3	632,300	84.3%	92,001
13	Subaru Impreza	30,810	84.3%	99,595
14	Toyota Auris	219,988	83.9%	90,673
15	Bmw 3 Series	689,310	83.5%	108,809
16	Skoda Octavia	288,657	83.3%	105,123
17	Volkswagen Golf	1,410,963	83%	93,793
18	Audi A4	409,974	83%	106,852
19	Nissan Pulsar	32,017	81.4%	59,345
20	Volkswagen Passat	273,825	80.8%	124,246
21	Ford Focus	1,327,920	80.3%	85,434
22	Vauxhall Insignia	315,992	80.1%	100,394
23	Honda Civic	440,153	80%	91,573
24	Toyota Corolla	121,077	79.8%	97,592
25	Kia Ceed	180,548	78.6%	81,132
26	Ford Mondeo	306,935	78.5%	116,505
27	Vauxhall Astra	979,744	77.9%	91,345
28	Hyundai I30	163,428	77.8%	79,522
29	Volkswagen Jetta	22,175	77.3%	114,545
30	Peugeot 308	215,130	76.9%	86,314

What does MOT pass rate actually tell you?

The MOT tests a specific list of items: brakes, lights, suspension, tyres, emissions, steering, seatbelts, bodywork corrosion, and exhaust. A high pass rate means fewer of these testable defects were found across all vehicles of that model in 2024.

It's not a complete measure of reliability. The MOT doesn't test the engine internals, gearbox, electrics, air conditioning, infotainment, or anything that causes breakdowns but isn't safety-critical. A car can be mechanically unreliable and still pass its MOT.

Pass rates are also influenced by owner behaviour — luxury cars tend to be better maintained, and some owners get a pre-MOT check. Newer model years naturally score higher because they've had less time to wear.

That said, MOT data is one of the few large-scale, objective datasets available for comparing vehicles. If a model consistently fails for suspension or brakes, that's a real signal about component quality — and a real cost if you're buying used.