Nov 10, 2017
An analysis of the latest data from the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency (VOSA) has revealed the most common MoT failure reasons.
MyCarNeedsA.com, the UK’s leading price comparison site where service providers quote for MOT, has analysed over £19 Million MOT records from 2016 to identify the reasons for failure for vehicles undergoing their MoT test.
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 test 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 |
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 test, 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 test 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.”
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 percent of jobs generated by MyCarNeedsA.com for its service providers are grade A.
