Best small 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 | MINI Cooper | 89.5% | 10.5% | 1,603,235 | Tyres |
| 4 | MINI John Cooper Works | 89.5% | 10.5% | 94,771 | Tyres |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Mirage | 88.7% | 11.3% | 58,123 | Tyres |
| 6 | Peugeot 108 | 88.4% | 11.6% | 403,408 | Tyres |
| 7 | Skoda Citigo | 88.2% | 11.8% | 289,018 | Lighting & signalling |
| 8 | Volkswagen Up | 88.1% | 11.9% | 676,096 | Lighting & signalling |
| 9 | MINI One | 87.2% | 12.8% | 287,618 | Lighting & signalling |
| 10 | Smart Fortwo | 86.4% | 13.6% | 151,289 | Lighting & signalling |
| 11 | Abarth 595 | 85.8% | 14.2% | 92,160 | Suspension |
| 12 | Suzuki Ignis | 85.5% | 14.4% | 155,551 | Suspension |
| 13 | Toyota Iq | 85.5% | 14.5% | 98,554 | Lighting & signalling |
| 14 | MG MG3 | 85.1% | 14.9% | 108,959 | Tyres |
| 15 | Toyota Aygo | 84.7% | 15.3% | 1,428,093 | Lighting & signalling |
| 16 | Audi A1 | 84.5% | 15.5% | 1,218,451 | Suspension |
| 17 | Suzuki Baleno | 84.4% | 15.6% | 38,422 | Suspension |
| 18 | Smart Forfour | 83.9% | 16.1% | 132,497 | Tyres |
| 19 | Honda Jazz | 83.9% | 16.1% | 1,950,501 | Lighting & signalling |
| 20 | Hyundai i10 | 83.6% | 16.4% | 1,414,960 | Lighting & signalling |
| 21 | Hyundai i20 | 83.6% | 16.4% | 738,300 | Lighting & signalling |
| 22 | Renault Zoe | 83.6% | 16.4% | 96,601 | Suspension |
| 23 | Toyota Yaris | 82.8% | 17.2% | 2,673,900 | Lighting & signalling |
| 24 | Peugeot 208 | 82.8% | 17.2% | 1,157,443 | Lighting & signalling |
| 25 | Suzuki Swift | 82.5% | 17.5% | 779,332 | Lighting & signalling |
| 26 | DS Ds3 | 81.5% | 18.5% | 194,957 | Lighting & signalling |
| 27 | Dacia Sandero | 81.5% | 18.5% | 558,970 | Lighting & signalling |
| 28 | Vauxhall Adam | 81.4% | 18.6% | 353,383 | Suspension |
| 29 | Citroen C1 | 81.3% | 18.7% | 1,005,242 | Lighting & signalling |
| 30 | Kia Picanto | 81.0% | 19.0% | 1,074,971 | Brakes |
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.