The UK Car Reliability Report
What does Britain's MOT record really say about which cars last? We analysed the national MOT dataset — 136,838,906 vehicles across 235,990 models and 17,557 manufacturers — and ranked them by MOT pass rate.
Free to cite with a link to this page. Figures are based on published MOT history; rankings cover popular models with at least 5,000 registered vehicles and a meaningful sample of completed (pass/fail) tests.
The most reliable cars in the UK
Highest MOT pass rates among popular models — these clear the test first time most often.
| # | Model | Pass rate | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bmw R1250 | 96% | 7,899 |
| 2 | Bmw R 1200 | 95% | 9,601 |
| 3 | Honda Jazz crosstar ex i-mmd cvt | 94% | 9,421 |
| 4 | Lexus Ux | 94% | 15,040 |
| 5 | Lexus Es | 94% | 5,074 |
| 6 | Audi Q3 s line 35 tfsi mhev s-a | 94% | 10,469 |
| 7 | Honda Jazz ex i-mmd cvt | 94% | 16,154 |
| 8 | Honda Jazz sr i-mmd cvt | 93% | 7,478 |
| 9 | Bmw R1200 | 93% | 16,948 |
| 10 | Audi Q5 s line 45 tfsi mhev quat sa | 93% | 8,177 |
| 11 | Toyota Gr yaris circuit 4wd | 93% | 5,019 |
| 12 | Ford Puma st | 93% | 9,637 |
| 13 | Ford Puma st-line vignale mhev | 93% | 8,120 |
| 14 | Toyota Yaris design hev cvt | 93% | 57,415 |
| 15 | Honda Crf | 93% | 10,432 |
| 16 | Austin Seven | 93% | 5,165 |
| 17 | Volkswagen Golf life etsi s-a | 93% | 8,899 |
| 18 | Suzuki Vitara sz-t boosterjet mhev | 93% | 9,314 |
| 19 | Lexus Rx | 93% | 18,210 |
| 20 | Volkswagen Tiguan elegance tsi s-a | 93% | 6,816 |
| 21 | Audi Q3 s line 35 tfsi | 92% | 5,429 |
| 22 | Ford Puma st-line mhev | 92% | 54,332 |
| 23 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 premium ev | 92% | 8,091 |
| 24 | Suzuki Swift sz-l dualjet mhev | 92% | 10,888 |
| 25 | Volkswagen Golf style etsi s-a | 92% | 6,587 |
See the full most-reliable league table →
The least reliable cars in the UK
The popular models most likely to fail their MOT — worth extra scrutiny when buying used.
| # | Model | Pass rate | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Escort van | 58% | 9,199 |
| 2 | Fiat Punto 55 sx | 59% | 12,925 |
| 3 | Fiat Punto 55 s | 60% | 25,530 |
| 4 | Renault 19 | 60% | 7,440 |
| 5 | Ford Fiesta courier | 60% | 24,903 |
| 6 | Alfa romeo 146 | 61% | 5,726 |
| 7 | Fiat Tempra | 61% | 7,154 |
| 8 | Kia Pride | 61% | 11,670 |
| 9 | Fiat Brava 1.4 s | 61% | 5,751 |
| 10 | Mercedes-benz 308 d | 61% | 12,948 |
| 11 | Ford Courier | 61% | 5,684 |
| 12 | Fiat Punto s 60 | 62% | 10,046 |
| 13 | Renault 5 | 62% | 13,167 |
| 14 | Renault R19 | 62% | 25,441 |
| 15 | Renault Extra | 62% | 35,469 |
| 16 | Fiat Punto sx 60 | 62% | 5,811 |
| 17 | Ldv 400 series d 3.5t | 62% | 8,724 |
| 18 | Citroen Ax | 62% | 70,140 |
| 19 | Rover 220 | 62% | 37,541 |
| 20 | Nissan Vanette | 62% | 22,849 |
| 21 | Nissan Sunny | 63% | 73,935 |
| 22 | Fiat Uno | 63% | 16,527 |
| 23 | Fiat Cinquecento | 63% | 43,692 |
| 24 | Rover 420 | 63% | 59,332 |
| 25 | Rover 111 | 63% | 31,889 |
See the full least-reliable league table →
Method
We aggregate published UK MOT test results to model level, computing each model's pass rate over completed (pass or fail) tests. To keep rankings statistically meaningful, we include only established models with a substantial sample (min 5,000 registered vehicles, and an older fleet maturity where the number of recorded tests meets or exceeds the number of vehicles). "Unknown" outcomes are excluded from rates. Explore any model in detail via the make and model pages, or check an individual car's full history on the home page.
Source: UK MOT history data. Published by UK Vehicle Statistics.