1997 Carbodies Taxi/Hire Car — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1997 Carbodies Taxi/Hire Car passed 77.8% of its 400 recorded MOT tests. That is 2.9 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.1%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 20.5% of tests against 13.0% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, position lamp and headlamp — service brake performance alone was recorded 35 times.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 26.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.3% in 2021 to 21.2% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 20.5% | 82 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.0% | 52 |
| 3 | Visibility | 10.3% | 41 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.0% | 36 |
| 5 | Suspension | 8.0% | 32 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.3% | 21 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 35 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 33 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 31 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 30 |
| 5 | Washers | 29 |
| 6 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 28 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 26.0% | 104 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 17.5% | 70 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.3% | 65 |
| 4 | Tyres | 14.5% | 58 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 13.8% | 55 |
| 6 | Steering | 12.8% | 51 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 63 | 19.1% |
| 150k+ | 310 | 23.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 103 | 24.3% |
| 2022 | 99 | 23.2% |
| 2023 | 70 | 22.9% |
| 2024 | 62 | 17.7% |
| 2025 | 66 | 21.2% |
What to check before buying a 1997 Taxi/Hire Car
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 20.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (20.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (13.0% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Visibility (10.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 1997 Carbodies Taxi/Hire Cars pass their MOT?
77.8% of the 400 1997 Carbodies Taxi/Hire Car MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1997 Carbodies Taxi/Hire Car?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 20.5% of tests, followed by brakes (13.0%).
Does the 1997 Taxi/Hire Car get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 19.1% in the 0-30k band to 23.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 400 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.