MOT testing data for Great Britain
Statistical data sets about MOT testing including results by vehicle type, failures by type of defect, and MOT test stations and testers.
About this data set
This data set comes from data held by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
It is not classed as an ‘official statistic’. This means it’s not subject to scrutiny and assessment by the UK Statistics Authority.
MOT test results by class
The MOT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. Different types of vehicles (for example, cars and motorcycles) fall into different ‘classes’.
This data table shows the number of initial tests. It does not include abandoned tests, aborted tests, or retests.
The initial fail rate is the rate for vehicles as they were brought for the MOT. The final fail rate excludes vehicles that pass the test after rectification of minor defects at the time of the test.
This data table is updated every 3 months.
Initial failures by defect category
These tables give data for the following classes of vehicles:
- class 1 and 2 vehicles - motorcycles
- class 3 and 4 vehicles - cars and light vans up to 3,000kg
- class 5 vehicles - private passenger vehicles with more than 12 seats
- class 7 vehicles - goods vehicles between 3,000kg and 3,500kg gross vehicle weight
All figures are for vehicles as they were brought in for the MOT.
A failed test usually has multiple failure items.
The percentage of tests is worked out as the number of tests with one or more failure items in the defect as a percentage of total tests.
The percentage of defects is worked out as the total defects in the category as a percentage of total defects for all categories.
The average defects per initial test failure is worked out as the total failure items as a percentage of total tests failed plus tests that passed after rectification of a minor defect at the time of the test.
These data tables are updated every 3 months.
MOT test stations and testers
You must have an authorised test station to carry out MOTs, and you have to be approved as an MOT tester. Other MOT stations include:
- post office operated test stations
- designated local authorities
- the Crown
- some police authorities
This data table is updated once a year.
Action against MOT authorised examiners and MOT testers
DVSA can take disciplinary action or stop you operating as a testing station or tester if your service is not good enough.
This data table is updated once a year.
Last updated 28 March 2024 + show all updates
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Updated to include data from July to December 2023.
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Updated the following tables to include annual data for the years 2019 to 2020, 2020 to 2021, and 2022 to 2023: - MOT class 1 and 2 vehicles: initial failures by defect category - MOT class 3 and 4 vehicles: initial failures by defect category - MOT class 5 vehicles: initial failures by defect category - MOT class 7 vehicles: initial failures by defect category
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Updated to include MOT testing data for April to June 2023. Updated 'MOT test stations and testers' and 'Action against MOT authorised examiners and MOT testers' to include the annual data for 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023.
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Updated to include data from January to March 2023.
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Updated to include data from October to December 2022.
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Updated to include data from July to September 2022.
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Updated to include data up to June 2022.
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Updated with data for Quarter 4: January to March 2021 to 2022.
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Updated to include data up to December 2021.
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Updated to include data from July 2019 to September 2019
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Updated MOT test results by class and initial failures by defect category with data to June 2019.
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Updated with data for April 2018 to March 2019. The way the MOT works changed on 20 May 2018. Some of the data tables have been split to show data before and after the changes were made.
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Updated with data for April 2017 to March 2018.
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Updated with data for April 2016 to March 2017.
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Updated with data for April 2015 to March 2016.
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First published.