Cars with the highest MOT failure rates so far in 2023 revealed

New data shows that car models and brands most likely to fail an MOT are the highest – and lowest.

A French family hatchback has been found to have the worst record of all, failing half of its annual test.

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

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

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

According to DVSA figures, more than half of the Peugeot 307s that have had to undergo an MOT this year have failed. See which other models have the worst – and best – records in 2023

Car models with the worst TÜV results so far in 2023

Leasing comparison website LeaseLoco submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency last month seeking this year’s MOT pass and fail rates for the current year.

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

The average success rate for the first MOT this year is 71.7 percent, as the figures show.

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

For owners of French cars, the figures don’t make good reading, as six of the top 10 worst track records are brands based across the Channel.

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

The 307, produced between 2001 and 2008, is joined by the smaller 207 (2006-2012) and its predecessor, the 206 (1998-2009), which each have a success rate of 50.6 percent and 52.7 percent, respectively.

French fantasies or French fragile? Both the Peugeot 207 (left) and 206 (right) appeared in the list of cars most likely to fail MOTs in 2023

However, second on the list behind the 307 is Citroen’s Xsara hatchback (2000-2004) with a first time success rate of 48.4 percent, closely followed by Renault’s Grand Scenic (2004-2016) with a previous success rate of 50 .4 percent year.

In contrast, Lexus has two models with the highest first MOT success rates of any car this year.

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

However, the older – and larger – 2005 RX stands out in this list, with models already tested in the first seven months of the year showing an average success rate of 93.7 percent.

The Lexus UX SUV has the best MOT pass rate in 2023 at an incredible 95.4%. However, the fact that the oldest version on the road is less than five years old makes this less surprising

Jaguar’s electric I-Pace made the top 10 list of cars with the best pass rates, with 90.8% passing it in 2023. It is the only electric vehicle to make it onto either list

Among a number of VW Group cars from Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda, the NX was also included in the list (sixth place).

Jaguar’s electric I-Pace (2018-present) also made it into the top 10 with a TÜV pass rate of 90.8 percent, raising the flag for battery-powered models.

John Wilmot, managing director of car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, says the wide variation in success rates depending on car make and model is due to a variety of factors, including: how “diligent owners prepare their cars for the annual MOT test”.

He told us: “The annual MOT can be a stressful and expensive part of car ownership, but it is also important in ensuring vehicles are roadworthy and safe on UK roads.”

“Drivers can improve their chances of passing their MOT the first time and save themselves a lot of stress by carrying out basic checks before their MOT and ensuring their car is regularly serviced throughout the year.”

Car brands with the best and worst MOT results in 2023

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

Chevrolets and Chryslers – both American manufacturers – are the least likely to pass their MOT tests the first time, with 55.4 per cent and 62.2 per cent pass rates respectively, the DVSA data shows.

Renault (63.0 percent) and Citroen (64.9 percent) are also among the worst performing brands, followed by European rival Alfa Romeo with a success rate of 64.2 percent across all models tested in the first seven months of the year 2023.

Of the 5,485 Teslas tested this year (up to the end of July), 84.2 percent passed their MOT straight away, which wasn’t quite enough to make it into the list of the top five brands.

Chevrolets, which withdrew from the UK at the end of 2015, is the brand with the worst overall MOT pass rate, according to DVSA figures. Not surprisingly, luxury models dominate the list with the highest success rates

Car models with the highest proportion of dangerous defects

In May 2018, the DVSA introduced three new error categories – minor, major and dangerous – to differentiate between the severity of problems.

The latter is the most serious of all and even a single problem of this type automatically results in a car failing the test – as does a “serious” defect.

Of all the cars that failed the 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 proportion of dangerous defects in all MOTs carried out so far in 2023 is – surprisingly – a Volvo.

Despite the Swedish manufacturer’s track record when it comes to safety, the V50 station wagon (2004-2012) has the highest percentage of dangerous defects, with 15.6 percent of the 4,135 vehicles tested.

Volvo’s V50 estate, sold between 2004 and 2012, is the model with the highest percentage of failures due to a “dangerous defect”, according to official figures.