Best city cars by MOT pass rate
30 models ranked by MOT pass rate, each with at least 5,000 tests behind it and assessed against vehicle age so older cars are not unfairly penalised. The Suzuki Celerio leads on 91.8%. Rankings cover MOT-testable defects only — see the method note below.
| # | Car | Pass rate | Fail rate | Tests | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzuki Celerio | 91.8% | 8.2% | 147,312 | Visibility |
| 2 | Vauxhall Viva | 89.7% | 10.3% | 207,920 | Tyres |
| 3 | Peugeot 108 | 88.4% | 11.6% | 403,408 | Tyres |
| 4 | Skoda Citigo | 88.2% | 11.8% | 289,018 | Lighting & signalling |
| 5 | Volkswagen Up | 88.1% | 11.9% | 676,096 | Lighting & signalling |
| 6 | Smart Fortwo | 86.4% | 13.6% | 151,289 | Lighting & signalling |
| 7 | Abarth 595 | 85.8% | 14.2% | 92,160 | Suspension |
| 8 | Suzuki Ignis | 85.5% | 14.4% | 155,551 | Suspension |
| 9 | Toyota Iq | 85.5% | 14.5% | 98,554 | Lighting & signalling |
| 10 | Toyota Aygo | 84.7% | 15.3% | 1,428,093 | Lighting & signalling |
| 11 | Smart Forfour | 83.9% | 16.1% | 132,497 | Tyres |
| 12 | Hyundai i10 | 83.6% | 16.4% | 1,414,960 | Lighting & signalling |
| 13 | Vauxhall Adam | 81.4% | 18.6% | 353,383 | Suspension |
| 14 | Citroen C1 | 81.3% | 18.7% | 1,005,242 | Lighting & signalling |
| 15 | Kia Picanto | 81.0% | 19.0% | 1,074,971 | Brakes |
| 16 | Suzuki Alto | 80.3% | 19.8% | 303,725 | Lighting & signalling |
| 17 | Nissan Pixo | 79.8% | 20.2% | 73,259 | Lighting & signalling |
| 18 | Fiat 500 | 79.5% | 20.5% | 1,978,225 | Suspension |
| 19 | Fiat 500C | 78.7% | 21.3% | 107,139 | Suspension |
| 20 | Ford Ka | 78.4% | 21.6% | 1,161,860 | Suspension |
| 21 | Abarth 500 | 78.3% | 21.7% | 33,880 | Suspension |
| 22 | Peugeot 107 | 77.8% | 22.3% | 731,806 | Lighting & signalling |
| 23 | Suzuki Splash | 77.1% | 22.9% | 113,988 | Suspension |
| 24 | Rover Mini | 77.0% | 23.0% | 67,144 | Lighting & signalling |
| 25 | Fiat Panda | 77.0% | 23.1% | 578,812 | Suspension |
| 26 | Vauxhall Agila | 76.2% | 23.8% | 240,075 | Suspension |
| 27 | Daihatsu Sirion | 76.2% | 23.8% | 42,223 | Suspension |
| 28 | Renault Twingo | 75.8% | 24.2% | 165,786 | Suspension |
| 29 | Hyundai Amica | 74.3% | 25.7% | 42,722 | Lighting & signalling |
| 30 | Volkswagen Lupo | 73.8% | 26.2% | 43,921 | Lighting & signalling |
Methodology & source. 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.