Britain's most and least reliable cars: 33 million MOT tests analysed

We analysed 33 million UK MOT tests to rank which cars pass and fail most. The full most-reliable and least-reliable tables, and what the numbers really mean.

MOT DATA · 6 min read

We analysed 33 million MOT tests

Every car in Britain over three years old needs an annual MOT, and the DVSA publishes the anonymised results. We processed the latest full year, 33 million car tests, and ranked every mainstream model by how often it passes first time. The national average is a 76.7 percent pass rate. Here is what sits at the top and the bottom.

The 10 most reliable cars

Ranked by first-time MOT pass rate, models with at least 25,000 tests: 1. Lexus NX, 93.1 percent. 2. Volkswagen T-Roc, 92.3 percent. 3. Porsche Macan, 92.1 percent. 4. Audi Q2, 91.9 percent. 5. Skoda Karoq, 91.3 percent. 6. Toyota C-HR, 90.6 percent. 7. Hyundai Kona, 90.6 percent. 8. Volvo XC40, 90.5 percent. 9. Kia Niro, 90.3 percent. 10. Suzuki Celerio, 90.0 percent. The top is dominated by newer crossovers and SUVs, which makes sense: these are younger cars with lower mileage, and age is the single biggest driver of MOT failure.

The 10 least reliable cars

At the other end, again with at least 25,000 tests: 1. Peugeot 307, 57.4 percent. 2. Citroen Xsara, 58.0 percent. 3. Vauxhall Vivaro, 59.7 percent. 4. Peugeot 207, 59.8 percent. 5. Volkswagen Fox, 60.0 percent. 6. Volvo V50, 60.4 percent. 7. Citroen DS3, 60.4 percent. 8. Peugeot 206, 60.8 percent. 9. Vauxhall Vectra, 61.1 percent. 10. Renault Megane, 61.1 percent. These are older, higher-mileage cars, so age is a big part of the story, but ageing French superminis and older Vauxhall vans feature heavily.

The Renault Clio stands out

One result is hard to ignore. The Renault Clio, one of Britain's best-selling cars of all time, passes just 61.6 percent of the time across more than 303,000 tests. That is well below the 76.7 percent average and among the worst of any high-volume model. On a car this common, it is a genuinely useful warning for anyone buying used.

What the numbers really mean

Pass rate is not a pure measure of how well a car is built, because it is heavily influenced by age, mileage and how owners look after them. A three-year-old crossover will always beat a fifteen-year-old supermini. Read these tables as what a typical example of each model is likely to do at MOT time, not as a verdict on the engineering, and always check a specific car's own history before you buy.

How to use this if you are buying

If you are buying used or salvage, a below-average model is not automatically a bad buy, it just means you should budget for more at MOT time. Run any specific registration through our free Vehicle History checker for its own MOT and mileage record, and if it is a salvage or auction car, put it through the Analyzer to see whether the numbers still work once repairs and fees are in.

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