Tesla Model S: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Tesla Model S passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 9,549 individual Tesla Model S tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 80.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 Tesla Model S presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Tesla Model S tested had covered 82,575 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Tesla Model S sits 3.7 points above the national average, ranked 1,425 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Tesla Model S rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Tesla Model S at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Tesla Model S

1. A door will not open using the relevant control or close properly, 0.8% of tests (4.71x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.9% of tests (3.18x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 4.6% of tests (2.76x the national rate for this defect)
4. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.5% of tests (2.55x the national rate for this defect)
5. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.9% of tests (2.46x the national rate for this defect)
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 5.9% of tests (1.84x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.7% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 4.6% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1.8% of tests
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.5% of tests

From 9,552 DVSA-tracked Tesla Model S tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 9.14% of these flagged Tesla Model S defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Tesla Model S

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Tesla Model S before it actually fails on it.

1. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 2.7% of tests (3.24x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened, 0.7% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 21.3% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 36.8% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 11.5% of tests
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 10.2% of tests
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 9.6% of tests, also fails
8. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.4% of tests
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 1.9% of tests
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.5% of tests

From 9,552 DVSA-tracked Tesla Model S tests, 2024.

Tesla Model S pass rate by model year

From its 2014 to its 2019 model year, the Tesla Model S's first-time pass rate has risen 12.9 points, from 73.8% to 86.7%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Tesla Model S year:

• 2014 Tesla Model S - 73.8% first-time pass, 608 tests
• 2015 Tesla Model S - 77.4% first-time pass, 1,285 tests
• 2016 Tesla Model S - 80% first-time pass, 2,345 tests
• 2017 Tesla Model S - 82.7% first-time pass, 2,520 tests
• 2018 Tesla Model S - 85.5% first-time pass, 1,870 tests
• 2019 Tesla Model S - 86.7% first-time pass, 766 tests

Other Tesla models

• Tesla Model 3 Long Range Awd - 85.3%
• Tesla Model 3 Standard Range + - 85.6%
• Tesla Model 3 Performance Awd - 81.4%
• Tesla Model X - 80.2%
• Tesla Model 3 - 89.5%
• Tesla Model X Long Range Awd - 81.1%
• Tesla Model Y Long Range Awd - 91.1%
• Tesla Model S Long Range Awd - 84.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Morris Minor 1000 - 80.5%
• Citroen Dispatch 1400 En-Prise Bhdi Ss - 80.5%
• Audi A5 - 80.4%
• Ford Transit Custom 300 Trend Eblue - 80.4%
• Audi S3 - 80.4%
• Vauxhall Corsa E Elite Nav - 80.4%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate