Tesla Model X: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Tesla Model X passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 4,089 individual Tesla Model X tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 80.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 Tesla Model X 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 X tested had covered 63,226 miles and was built around 2018.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Tesla Model X sits 3.5 points above the national average, ranked 1,437 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 X 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 X at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Tesla Model X

1. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 8.7% of tests (5.16x the national rate for this defect)
2. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.6% of tests (3.45x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.7% of tests (2.6x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 5.5% of tests (1.72x the national rate for this defect)
5. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 3.3% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.9% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.1% of tests
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.6% of tests
10. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 0.5% of tests

From 4,084 DVSA-tracked Tesla Model X tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 12.2% of these flagged Tesla Model X 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 X

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 X before it actually fails on it.

1. Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive, 0.6% of tests (3.34x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 44% of tests (1.65x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 12.2% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 13.1% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 11.5% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 10% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.9% of tests
8. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1% of tests
9. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.8% of tests
10. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 0.4% of tests

From 4,084 DVSA-tracked Tesla Model X tests, 2024.

Tesla Model X pass rate by model year

From its 2017 to its 2019 model year, the Tesla Model X's first-time pass rate has risen 3.1 points, from 80.9% to 84%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Tesla Model X year:

• 2017 Tesla Model X - 80.9% first-time pass, 2,020 tests
• 2018 Tesla Model X - 80.6% first-time pass, 1,413 tests
• 2019 Tesla Model X - 84% first-time pass, 568 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 S - 80.4%
• 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

• BMW 520 - 80.2%
• Vauxhall Vivaro 2900 Dynamic S/S - 80.2%
• Nissan E-Nv200 - 80.2%
• Citroen Berlingo Multispace - 80.2%
• MG 3 - 80.1%
• Nissan Serena - 80.1%

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