Cars with the lowest MOT pass rates in the UK

Models with the lowest first-time MOT pass rates from 10,000+ tests in 2024.

#	Model	Tests	Pass rate	Avg mileage
1	Nissan Cabstar	17,918	66.8%	91,509
2	Chevrolet Matiz	19,380	67.7%	57,468
3	Talbot Express	10,791	68.4%	82,048
4	Nissan Primastar	18,517	68.4%	142,948
5	Citroen Xsara	43,137	68.4%	105,073
6	Peugeot 307	54,413	68.4%	103,988
7	Chevrolet Aveo	15,061	68.5%	72,561
8	Hyundai Coupe	11,157	69.1%	90,235
9	Volkswagen Lt	13,264	69.3%	155,527
10	Renault Modus	21,794	69.4%	78,461
11	Mazda 5	15,846	69.6%	105,959
12	Ford Focus C-Max	20,387	69.6%	112,733
13	Fiat Scudo	14,658	69.7%	140,839
14	Mazda Bongo	16,480	69.7%	133,432
15	Peugeot 206	69,030	69.9%	86,219
16	Vauxhall Tigra	12,999	70.1%	76,823
17	Citroen C2	20,243	70.1%	85,805
18	Suzuki Wagon-R+	12,527	70.5%	76,894
19	Peugeot 106	10,719	70.7%	81,016
20	Hyundai Getz	32,582	70.7%	79,881
21	Volkswagen Fox	46,972	70.7%	80,652
22	Peugeot 207	207,777	70.7%	88,950
23	Chevrolet Captiva	12,016	70.9%	103,658
24	Peugeot 407	16,783	71.2%	125,877
25	Renault Grand Scenic	35,395	71.4%	97,003
26	Vauxhall Vectra	46,149	71.5%	118,018
27	Nissan Almera	23,973	71.6%	89,176
28	Fiat Grande Punto	11,670	71.7%	87,740
29	Honda Fr-V	12,137	71.7%	128,782
30	Renault Laguna	17,061	71.8%	119,538
31	Rover 75	13,053	71.9%	105,365
32	Volvo V50	53,418	72%	132,103
33	Vauxhall Vivaro	356,488	72%	122,343
34	Renault Scenic	55,484	72.1%	86,439
35	Jaguar X-Type	46,047	72.3%	106,515
36	Renault Kangoo	88,024	72.3%	101,700
37	Fiat Punto	99,054	72.4%	81,307
38	Mitsubishi Colt	32,064	72.5%	86,390
39	Renault Megane	182,687	72.5%	93,076
40	Vauxhall Astravan	12,267	72.8%	149,567
41	Volvo S40	31,725	73%	111,895
42	Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab	17,393	73.1%	127,204
43	Citroen Ds3	140,876	73.1%	81,484
44	Renault Clio	502,539	73.1%	73,335
45	Daihatsu Sirion	10,361	73.2%	74,365
46	Chevrolet Spark	24,775	73.4%	69,210
47	Citroen Ds4	19,467	73.7%	91,975
48	Volkswagen Beetle	79,358	73.7%	83,405
49	Renault Trafic	197,632	73.7%	118,057
50	Seat Altea	20,754	73.9%	112,083

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.