Cars with the most MOT fail rates so far in 2023 revealed

The car models and brands most (and least) likely to fail an MOT have been revealed in new data.

It found that a French family hatchback has the worst record of all: half failed the annual test.

The Peugeot 307 has the lowest first-time MOT pass rate of any car in 2023, according to DVSA data provided to LeaseLoco, and shared exclusively with This is Money.

While the aging 307 has a dismal approval rate of just 48.3 percent in the first seven months of the year, it is not the model most likely to fail due to a “dangerous defect.”

Surprisingly, the car with this unwanted record is produced by a brand that is synonymous with safety…

Car models with the worst MOT records so far in 2023

Lease comparison website LeaseLoco submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency last month requesting MOT pass and fail rates this year to date.

In total, 18,345,342 MOT tests have been carried out in the UK up to the end of July, with 13,150,543 vehicles passing for the first time and 5,194,799 failing.

Figures show that the average first MOT pass rate this year is 71.7 percent.

Only cars with more than 1,000 MOTs on their record in 2023 have been included in the lists to ensure there is a robust sample of vehicles named and shamed.

The figures do not make good reading for French car owners, with six of the top 10 worst performers being cross-Channel brands.

Three Peugeot models – the 307, 207 and 206 – appear in the list of the top 10 cars with the lowest MOT pass rates, well below the average national pass rate of just under 72 per cent.

The 307, produced between 2001 and 2008, is joined by the smaller 207 (2006-2012) and its predecessor, the 206 (1998-2009), which have respective approval rates of 50.6 percent and 52.7 percent.

French fantasies or French fragiles? Both the Peugeot 207 (left) and the 206 (right) appeared on the list of cars that have passed MOTs most frequently in 2023.

However, second on the list behind the 307 is Citroen’s Xsara hatchback (2000-2004) with a first-time pass rate of 48.4 percent, closely followed by Renault’s Grand Scenic (2004- 2016) with a 50.4 percent success rate so far this year. year.

By contrast, Lexus has two models with the highest first-time MOT pass rates of any car this year.

The Lexus UX SUV (2018-present) earned an incredible 95.4 percent approval rating, although the fact that the oldest version on the road is less than five years old makes this less surprising.

However, the oldest and largest RX, dating back to 2005, is the standout on this list, with models already tested in the first seven months of the year with an average approval rate of 93.7 percent.

The Lexus UX SUV has the best MOT pass rate in 2023 with an incredible 95.4%. Although the fact that the oldest version in circulation is less than five years old makes this less surprising.

Jaguar’s electric I-Pace made the list of the top 10 cars with the best approval rates, with a 90.8% success rate in 2023. It is the only electric vehicle to appear on any of the lists.

The NX also makes the list (sixth place) among a number of cars from the VW Group of Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda.

Jaguar’s electric I-Pace (2018-present) also made the top 10 with an MOT pass rate of 90.8 percent to fly the flag for battery-powered models.

John Wilmot, chief executive of car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, says the huge variation in approval rates by car make and model is due to a variety of factors, including “How diligent owners are in preparing their cars for the annual MOT.”

He told us: ‘The annual MOT can be a stressful and expensive part of owning a car, but it is also vital to ensure vehicles on UK roads are safe and roadworthy.

“Drivers can improve their chances of passing an MOT first time and save themselves a lot of stress by carrying out basic pre-MOT checks and ensuring their car receives regular checks throughout the year.”

Car brands with best and worst MOT records in 2023

According to DVSA MOT data, Ferraris are most likely to pass the MOT with a first-time pass rate of 89.9 per cent.

Chevrolets and Chryslers, both American manufacturers, are the least likely to pass MOT on the first try, with 55.4 per cent and 62.2 per cent passing respectively, DVSA data shows .

Renault (63.0 percent) and Citroën (64.9 percent) are also among the brands with the worst records, along with European rival Alfa Romeo with an approval rate of 64.2 percent across all models. tested in the first seven months of 2023.

Of the 5,485 Teslas tested this year (until the end of July), 84.2 percent passed their MOT at the first moment of applying, which was not enough to enter the list of the five best brands.

Chevrolets, which pulled out of the UK at the end of 2015, are the brand with the worst MOT pass rate as a whole, DVSA figures show. As expected, luxury models dominate the list with the highest approval rates.

Car models with the highest percentage of dangerous defects

In May 2018, the DVSA introduced three new categories of defects (minor, major and dangerous) to differentiate the severity of issues.

The latter is the most serious of all and only a problem of this type means that a car automatically fails the test, as does a “major” defect.

Of all cars that failed MOT between January and the end of July, just over a quarter (27.5 percent) were due to dangerous defects.

However, the only car with the highest percentage of failures for dangerous defects in all MOTs carried out so far in 2023 is, surprisingly, a Volvo.

Despite the Swedish manufacturer’s safety record, the V50 estate (2004-2012) has the highest failure rate for dangerous defects, at 15.6 percent of the 4,135 tested.

Volvo’s V50 estate, sold between 2004 and 2012, is the model with the highest percentage of breakdowns due to ‘dangerous defect’, according to official figures