MOTs can be a stressful time. Waiting for confirmation on whether your car has passed or failed (and how much the repairs will cost if it is the latter) can affect even the most relaxed driver’s outlook.
Not only are there financial considerations but also practical ones. You could face some time without your car that can make getting to work and even running daily errands tough. If you’re able to borrow someone’s car, you can buy temporary car insurance for the length of time the vehicle is in the garage.
Ideally, your car will pass its MOT the first time, saving you time and money…… An MOT test checks your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. All cars over three years old must pass an annual MOT test.
- If you don’t have a valid MOT certificate, you could face a fine of £1,000.
- This can potentially increase to £2,500, penalty points and even a driving ban if the vehicle is considered dangerous.
With these penalties, it’s important to find a reliable car that can pass its MOT with flying colours.
Here at Tempcover, we’ve analysed over 33 million MOT test results since 2005 to uncover the UK’s most and least MOT-friendly cars. The data reveals which makes and models have the highest and lowest pass rates—along with insights into how the UK’s most popular cars perform.
The five cars most likely to pass their MOTs*
- Honda Jazz Crosstar EX i-MMD CVT (pass rate: 97.19%)
- Ferrari 488 (97.07%)
- Peugeot Expert S L1 BlueHDi (97.03%)
- Honda Jazz EX i-MMD CVT (96.67%)
- Suzuki Swift SZ3 Dualjet SHVS (96.66%)
The five cars with the least successful MOT pass rates*
- Peugeot 807 (52.66%)
- Citroen C8 (52.71%)
- Mitsubishi Space Star (53.17%)
- Fiat Stilo (54.42%)
- Chevrolet Kalos (54.52%)
*The top and bottom five performing cars[1]. Pass rate includes pass with rectification.
The UK’s most popular cars and their MOT pass rates
We also looked at how the UK’s bestselling car makes and models performed in their MOTs. The MG HS has the highest pass rate (91.86%), while the Ford Puma has the lowest (63.49%).
- MG HS Exclusive (91.86%)
- Volvo XC40 (91.30%)
- Hyundai Tucson (85.59%)
- Kia Sportage (80.92%)
- Volkswagen Golf (77.16%)
- Nissan Qashqai (74.92%)
- Nissan Juke (74.49%)
- Volkswagen Polo (72.59%)
- Ford Puma (63.49%)
We applied the MOT pass rates and methodology to the UK’s top-selling car makes and models[2]. Pass rate includes pass with rectification.
What about other car manufacturers?
Our research also looked at the overall pass rates of the UK’s bestselling car brands[3] in 2024.
- Polestar (89.97%)
- Porsche (87.98%)
- Lexus (87.22%)
- Tesla (84.03%)
- BMW (81.83%)
- MG (81.47%)
- Jaguar (81.19%)
- Audi (81.11%)
- MINI (80.96%)
- Skoda (80.94%)
- Toyota (80.57%)
- Mercedes-Benz (80.15%)
- Land Rover (79.99%)
- Dacia (79.67%)
- Suzuki (79.15%)
- Hyundai (78.81%)
- Jeep (78.70%)
- Kia (78.67%)
- SEAT (78.37%)
- Honda (78.18%)
- DS (77.63%)
- Subaru (77.44%)
- Volvo (77%)
- Volkswagen (76.48%)
- Mazda (76.41%)
- smart (75.46%)
- Ford (74.77%)
- Nissan (74.21%)
- Fiat (73.51%)
- Peugeot (73.07%)
- Vauxhall (71.88%)
- Alfa Romeo (71.29%)
- Citroen (70.78%)
- Renault (67.73%)
MOT pass rates among the UK’s top-selling car brands [3]. Pass rate includes pass with rectification.
Claire Wills-Mckissick expert in temporary car insurance at Tempcover adds:
“The MOT is an important step in ensuring your car is roadworthy and safe. If you find yourself in a situation where repairs are needed, temporary car insurance offers a fully comprehensive, flexible solution, allowing you to borrow a friend or family member’s car and get on the road. This will minimise disruption and give you greater peace of mind during a challenging time.”
What can I do to help my car pass its MOT?
The DVSA lists the most common reasons for failing an MOT as:
- Issues with lighting and signals
- Suspension faults
- Brake system failures
- Tyres in poor condition
- Driver visibility issues
- Structural integrity and bodywork issues
- Fuel and exhaust emissions
- Steering irregularities
- Seat belts and restraint systems
- Miscellaneous items including a faulty horn, damaged mirrors and an insecure battery
There’s no guarantee that your vehicle will pass its MOT but looking after it by performing basic maintenance checks (e.g. topping up your oil, making sure your tyres are roadworthy and have a legal tread depth, replacing broken windscreen wipers) on a regular basis may help.
Look after your car and it can look after you, even if it doesn’t appear in our list of most reliable cars for MOTs. If you still need to get around while the vehicle is in the garage, you could consider getting temporary car insurance so you can drive someone else’s car with fully comprehensive coverage.
Lasting from one hour to 28 days, the flexibility of this short-term insurance also means you’ll be able to get around if your car’s repairs are going to take a little longer than expected.
If you’re wondering when your car is due its MOT, you can find the date by answering a few simple questions on gov.uk.
Sources and Methodology
https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot
https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot/the-mot-test
https://motorway.co.uk/sell-my-car/guides/what-fails-an-mot
[1]Over 33 million (33,000,722) MOT tests were analysed.
Data is based on an anonymised release of 2023 test results from the Department For Transport
Results were filtered to show only Class 4 MOT tests (which cover standard passenger cars) and only normal MOT tests (i.e. excluding re-tests and appeals).
Only makes that had more than 1000 tests in 2023 were included, only models that had more than 1000 tests in 2023 were included.
Pass rate includes passes where vehicles had an issue that was rectified at the testing station.
[2]“We applied the MOT pass rates and methodology to the UK’s top-selling car makes and models. The model includes all cars a manufacturer has released under that name. Cars typically undergo the first MOT test 3 years after registration.
Any brands where the data wasn’t available/ didn’t meet the parameters of the MOT analysis were removed.
[3]We applied the MOT pass rates and methodology to the UK’s best-selling new cars in 2024.
Any brands where the data wasn’t available/ didn’t meet the parameters of the MOT analysis were removed.
