Best first cars by MOT pass rate
Popular first cars for new drivers, ranked by MOT pass rate. A higher pass rate suggests fewer testable issues — one useful signal when choosing a used car.
| # | Model | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda Jazz Crosstar Ex I-Mmd Cvt | 9,373 | 97.6% |
| 2 | Toyota Yaris Design Hev Cvt | 23,668 | 96.7% |
| 3 | Honda Jazz Ex I-Mmd Cvt | 11,122 | 96.5% |
| 4 | Toyota Yaris Icon Hev Cvt | 10,988 | 95.3% |
| 5 | Ford Fiesta St-Line Edition T Mhev | 13,366 | 93.8% |
| 6 | Fiat Swift | 9,575 | 93.8% |
| 7 | Volkswagen Polo Match Tsi | 23,546 | 93.4% |
| 8 | Skoda Karoq | 70,498 | 92.8% |
| 9 | Fiat 500 Lounge Mhev | 10,583 | 92.5% |
| 10 | Ford Fiesta St-Line Edition Turbo | 18,357 | 92.4% |
| 11 | Volkswagen Polo Match Evo | 12,465 | 92% |
| 12 | Suzuki Celerio | 37,628 | 91% |
| 13 | Vauxhall Corsa Se | 24,151 | 90.3% |
| 14 | Vauxhall Corsa Elite Nav Premium Turbo | 14,765 | 90% |
| 15 | Vauxhall Corsa Sri Premium Turbo | 12,771 | 89.5% |
| 16 | Renault Clio Iconic Tce | 14,614 | 89.4% |
| 17 | Vauxhall Corsa Sri Turbo | 10,136 | 89.3% |
| 18 | Peugeot 108 | 101,586 | 87.9% |
| 19 | Volkswagen Up | 165,665 | 87.1% |
| 20 | Renault Kadjar | 111,078 | 85.7% |
| 21 | Skoda Superb | 93,726 | 84.7% |
| 22 | Fiat 500X | 52,357 | 84% |
| 23 | Toyota Aygo | 270,900 | 83.8% |
| 24 | Hyundai I10 | 267,082 | 82.9% |
| 25 | Toyota Yaris | 653,262 | 82.7% |
| 26 | Honda Jazz | 334,395 | 82.7% |
| 27 | Hyundai I20 | 174,648 | 82.4% |
| 28 | Abarth 500 | 10,182 | 82.1% |
| 29 | Suzuki Swift | 155,462 | 81.8% |
| 30 | Vauxhall Adam | 103,994 | 81.5% |
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.