2017 London Taxis Int Tx4 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 London Taxis Int Tx4 passed 85.9% of its 6,039 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 12.7% of the time, so this is 1.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.0%) and suspension (11.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, headlamp aim and ball joint — pins and bushes alone was recorded 374 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 16.0% versus 10.0%.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 19.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.0% | 723 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.3% | 682 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.5% | 334 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 270 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 220 |
| 6 | Tyres | 3.4% | 204 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 374 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 304 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 214 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 201 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 170 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 155 |
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 | 19.4% | 1,169 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.3% | 619 |
| 3 | Tyres | 10.2% | 617 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.4% | 385 |
| 5 | Steering | 5.1% | 306 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 161 |
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 | 40 | 10.0% |
| 30-60k | 408 | 10.3% |
| 60-90k | 1,231 | 12.8% |
| 90-120k | 1,431 | 13.1% |
| 120-150k | 1,320 | 15.1% |
| 150k+ | 1,605 | 16.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,200 | 12.6% |
| 2022 | 1,224 | 13.9% |
| 2023 | 1,234 | 14.5% |
| 2024 | 1,197 | 14.4% |
| 2025 | 1,184 | 14.9% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Tx4
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 12.0% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (12.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.3% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (5.5% 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.
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 2017 London Taxis Int Tx4s pass their MOT?
85.9% of the 6,039 2017 London Taxis Int Tx4 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 London Taxis Int Tx4?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.0% of tests, followed by suspension (11.3%).
Does the 2017 Tx4 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.0% in the 0-30k band to 16.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,039 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.