
Lamps, reflectors and indicators proceed to be essentially the most frequent causes for automobiles fail their MOTs, in line with DVSA knowledge analysed by the RAC.
Nonetheless, brakes and tyres overwhelmingly which might be extra prone to trigger essentially the most “harmful” MOT failures.
Failures for non-working headlights, indicators and reflectors accounted for simply over 1 / 4 (25.5%) of all MOT failures within the 12 months to March 2022, whereas defective or damaged suspensions represented just below a fifth (18.3%) of all failures.
Issues with brakes (17%) and tyres (12%) had been the third and fourth greatest causes for an MOT failure, with dangerous visibility – most probably cracks on windscreens – rounding up the highest 5, representing simply 8.7% of all MOT failures.
Whereas a 3rd of all preliminary MOT exams of automobiles, vans and small passenger automobiles – the equal to 7.3m automobiles – resulted in a fail and imply drivers must fork out for remedial restore work, practically one-in-10 exams – 8%, equal to 2.4m automobiles – worryingly end in a fail the place not less than one harmful defect had been discovered.
In these most critical circumstances, the place an examiner states a car can’t be pushed till that defect is repaired, brakes and tyres characterize 88% of all such failures, emphasising simply how essential it’s for drivers to hold out routine checks on these things.
Though the largest causes of MOT failures have remained constant over a few years, the proportion of tyre failures has elevated barely from 10% in 2018-19 to 12% in 2021-22.
All automobiles require MOTs three years after first registration and yearly thereafter. With drivers paying as much as £54.80 for a automobile MOT check (class 4 car) prices can quickly mount up if work and components are required, significantly if a car has not been serviced usually.
“Many drivers dread taking their car for its annual MOT for concern they may find yourself having to spend plenty of cash on repairs so as to get it to move,” mentioned RAC head of roads coverage Nicholas Lyes.
“That is little doubt the case for an unfortunate third of householders whose automobiles fail their MOTs initially.”