An analysis of the latest data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has revealed the most common reasons for MOT failures.
MyCarNeedsA.com, the UK’s leading price comparison site where service providers quote for MOT, has analysed over 19,400424 DVSA MOT records from 2016 to identify the reasons for failure for vehicles undergoing their MOT.
Faulty lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment were responsible for one in four of all MOT failures (27.6%), while suspension accounted for 18.4%, followed by faulty brakes, which resulted in 15% of failures.
After lights, brakes and suspension, ‘driver’s view of the road’ was the next biggest reason for MOT failure (10.6%) and one which can be easily fixed by motorists, prior to an MOT. So often it’s down to large cracks in the windscreen, dashcams, stickers and other obstructions restricting the driver’s view.
Worn out tyres caused one in 10 cars to fail, while issues with emissions and fuel systems were responsible for another 6.1% of failures. Problems with steering caused 4.1% of failures, followed by seatbelts at 2.9%.
Reason For Rejection (RFR) Percentages
| Reason for Rejection | Number of Fails | Percentage of Fails |
| Lamps, Reflectors & Electrical Equipment | 5362365 | 27.6% |
| Suspension | 3578446 | 18.4% |
| Brakes | 290,4605 | 15% |
| Driver’s view of the road | 2054917 | 10.6% |
| Tyres | 2203430 | 11.4% |
| Exhaust, Fuel & Emissions | 1178009 | 6.1% |
| Steering | 803615 | 4.1% |
| Seatbelts & Restraint Systems | 557046 | 2.9% |
| Body Structure & General Items | 422002 | 2.2% |
| Reg Plates & VINs | 215450 | 1.1% |
| Road Wheels | 101662 | 0.5% |
| Items not tested | 6843 | 0% |
| Towbars | 11646 | 0.1% |
| Driving Control and Speed Limiters | 388 | 0% |
Scott Hamilton, Managing Director of MyCarNeedsA.com comments: “Motorists could be saving hundreds of pounds if they make simple vehicle checks before an MOT, to spot any faults. Our research shows that yet again, the main failure categories are lighting and signalling, including faults such as failed bulbs and misaligned headlights; brakes; tyre damage, as well as tyre wear; drivers view of the road, including windscreen damage, windscreen wiper faults, windscreen washer not working and missing, or faulty mirrors.
“Most of these faults can be picked up by a simple walk-around inspection of the car and can save money and improve the chance of the vehicle passing first time. For example, many vehicles have inexpensive headlight and breaking light bulbs that are easy to replace. However, if faulty lights cause a vehicle to fail an MOT and the bulb is out of stock, motorists could end up with a vehicle that is not road legal for a day or two.
“Many of our service providers offer a Vehicle Health Check free of charge. If they tick this option on our site, we can get local service providers to check the vehicle and help increase the chances of passing. We have provided our partners with hundreds of MOT jobs over the last 12 months and these numbers are increasingly daily, as more and more garages and workshops recognise the benefits of partnering and are joining us. We provide garages and workshops with a complete marketing solution, from driving incremental consumer leads for servicing, repair and MOT work to helping them with their local marketing.
“MyCarNeedsA.com provides the perfect solution for garages looking to work with an online specialist who will supply them with jobs and can provide advice and support on every aspect of digital marketing and services. By registering with MyCarNeedsA.com, we can provide our partners with practical solutions to all aspects of digital marketing and social media. For those service providers who do a good job, we encourage our customers to give trust pilot reviews which is a valuable form of recommendation.
MyCarNeedsA.com now works with 4,000 dealers, garage and workshop partners nationwide. Only Authorised Repairers provide quotes for work, after a thorough vetting process and only genuine parts are used on all customer vehicles. Service books are stamped and a 12 month guarantee on all parts and labour is provided. Eighty per cent of jobs generated by MyCarNeedsA.com for its service providers are grade A.
