Best small family 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 Volkswagen ID.3 leads on 92.0%. Rankings cover MOT-testable defects only — see the method note below.
| # | Car | Pass rate | Fail rate | Tests | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volkswagen ID.3 | 92.0% | 8.1% | 51,129 | Tyres |
| 2 | Hyundai Ioniq | 91.7% | 8.3% | 199,704 | Tyres |
| 3 | BMW i3 | 91.2% | 8.8% | 106,399 | Tyres |
| 4 | Skoda Scala | 90.8% | 9.2% | 27,022 | Tyres |
| 5 | Lexus Ct | 90.6% | 9.4% | 162,345 | Lighting & signalling |
| 6 | Toyota Prius | 88.5% | 11.5% | 866,307 | Lighting & signalling |
| 7 | Infiniti Q30 | 88.5% | 11.5% | 26,837 | Tyres |
| 8 | MINI Clubman | 88.2% | 11.8% | 146,074 | Tyres |
| 9 | Nissan Leaf | 86.6% | 13.4% | 219,382 | Tyres |
| 10 | Mercedes-Benz CLA | 86.4% | 13.6% | 319,067 | Tyres |
| 11 | Audi S3 | 86.3% | 13.7% | 27,830 | Lighting & signalling |
| 12 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 85.1% | 14.9% | 1,863,616 | Tyres |
| 13 | Toyota Auris | 84.9% | 15.1% | 910,008 | Lighting & signalling |
| 14 | BMW 1 Series | 84.0% | 16.0% | 2,288,981 | Lighting & signalling |
| 15 | SEAT Leon | 83.8% | 16.2% | 1,064,102 | Suspension |
| 16 | Skoda Rapid | 83.7% | 16.3% | 133,948 | Suspension |
| 17 | Nissan Pulsar | 83.3% | 16.7% | 126,426 | Suspension |
| 18 | Skoda Octavia | 83.3% | 16.7% | 1,198,834 | Lighting & signalling |
| 19 | Honda Insight | 83.2% | 16.8% | 54,179 | Lighting & signalling |
| 20 | Dacia Logan | 82.9% | 17.1% | 88,516 | Lighting & signalling |
| 21 | Fiat Tipo | 82.9% | 17.1% | 70,498 | Suspension |
| 22 | Toyota Corolla | 82.7% | 17.3% | 631,755 | Lighting & signalling |
| 23 | Audi A3 | 82.7% | 17.3% | 2,507,563 | Suspension |
| 24 | Volkswagen Golf | 81.8% | 18.3% | 5,426,375 | Suspension |
| 25 | Volvo V40 | 81.2% | 18.8% | 600,741 | Suspension |
| 26 | Subaru Impreza | 81.0% | 19.0% | 110,235 | Lighting & signalling |
| 27 | DS Ds4 | 80.6% | 19.4% | 27,479 | Lighting & signalling |
| 28 | Ford Escort | 80.1% | 19.9% | 56,507 | Lighting & signalling |
| 29 | SEAT Toledo | 80.1% | 19.9% | 41,008 | Suspension |
| 30 | Ford Focus | 79.4% | 20.6% | 6,079,104 | 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.