Know Your MOT
14.0%fail rate

Ak Cobra common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Ak Cobra fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 565 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 14.0% of MOT tests recorded on the Ak Cobra in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 34.2% of the Ak Cobra's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, visibility/wipers, exhaust & emissions. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical34.2% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes34.2% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Visibility/wipers17.7% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Exhaust & emissions17.7% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Suspension16.5% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Steering13.9% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Ak Cobra headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ak Cobra headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ak Cobra headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ak Cobra brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ak Cobra brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ak Cobra brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Ak Cobra wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Ak Cobra wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Ak Cobra wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Ak Cobra exhaustSearch Amazon for Ak Cobra exhaustaffiliate searchFind Ak Cobra exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ak Cobra suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ak Cobra suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ak Cobra suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Ak Cobra steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Ak Cobra steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Ak Cobra steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Ak 427 MOT failures7.5% failure rateAk 427 Cobra MOT failures13.6% failure rateAk Sport MOT failures17.0% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain