Best small cars by MOT pass rate
These are the cars with the highest MOT pass rates in this dataset for the relevant class, limited to models with at least 5,000 tests and considered against vehicle age. Rankings reflect 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 | Mini Cooper | 89.8% | 10.2% | 1,077,754 | Tyres |
| 3 | Mini Cooper S | 89.8% | 10.2% | 409,308 | Tyres |
| 4 | Vauxhall Viva | 89.7% | 10.3% | 207,920 | Tyres |
| 5 | Peugeot 108 | 88.4% | 11.6% | 403,408 | Tyres |
| 6 | Skoda Citigo | 88.1% | 11.8% | 288,003 | Lighting & signalling |
| 7 | Volkswagen Up | 88.1% | 11.9% | 665,062 | Lighting & signalling |
| 8 | Mini One | 87.4% | 12.6% | 270,495 | Lighting & signalling |
| 9 | Toyota Aygo | 84.6% | 15.4% | 1,413,143 | Lighting & signalling |
| 10 | Audi A1 | 84.3% | 15.7% | 1,183,597 | Suspension |
| 11 | Honda Jazz | 83.5% | 16.5% | 1,891,034 | Lighting & signalling |
| 12 | Hyundai I10 | 83.4% | 16.6% | 1,370,910 | Lighting & signalling |
| 13 | Hyundai I20 | 83.4% | 16.6% | 715,336 | Lighting & signalling |
| 14 | Toyota Yaris | 82.3% | 17.7% | 2,559,678 | Lighting & signalling |
| 15 | Peugeot 208 | 82.2% | 17.8% | 1,061,624 | Lighting & signalling |
| 16 | Suzuki Swift | 81.8% | 18.2% | 736,664 | Lighting & signalling |
| 17 | Ds Ds3 | 81.5% | 18.5% | 194,957 | Lighting & signalling |
| 18 | Dacia Sandero | 81.5% | 18.5% | 558,970 | Lighting & signalling |
| 19 | Vauxhall Adam | 81.4% | 18.6% | 353,380 | Suspension |
| 20 | Citroen C1 | 81.2% | 18.9% | 994,636 | Lighting & signalling |
| 21 | Kia Picanto | 80.8% | 19.2% | 1,059,029 | Brakes |
| 22 | Skoda Fabia | 80.8% | 19.2% | 1,399,872 | Lighting & signalling |
| 23 | Suzuki Alto | 80.3% | 19.8% | 303,694 | Lighting & signalling |
| 24 | Kia Rio | 80.2% | 19.8% | 592,470 | Lighting & signalling |
| 25 | Mazda 2 | 79.7% | 20.3% | 742,608 | Suspension |
| 26 | Fiat 500 | 79.0% | 21.0% | 1,868,841 | Suspension |
| 27 | Nissan Note | 79.0% | 21.1% | 972,711 | Lighting & signalling |
| 28 | Volkswagen Polo | 78.7% | 21.3% | 3,797,015 | Lighting & signalling |
| 29 | Ford Fiesta | 78.6% | 21.4% | 8,619,508 | Lighting & signalling |
| 30 | Ford Ka + | 78.4% | 21.6% | 1,161,836 | Suspension |
Methodology & source. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.