Know Your MOT

MOT failure rate and common problems for the Bedford Box, and how to check your own car by registration.

Updated 05 September 2026.

37.3%fail rate

Bedford Box MOT failure rate

What a Bedford Box fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical63.6% 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.

Visibility/wipers50.0% 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.

Brakes31.8% 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.

Other31.8% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Fuel system22.7% of failures

Fuel-system failures are leaks or an insecure filler cap.

Tyres18.2% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

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. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Bedford Box headlight and indicator bulbsShop Bedford Box headlight and indicator bulbs on AmazonaffiliateFind Bedford Box headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Bedford Box wiper bladesShop Bedford Box wiper blades on AmazonaffiliateFind Bedford Box wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Bedford Box brake pads and discsShop Bedford Box brake pads and discs on AmazonaffiliateFind Bedford Box brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Bedford Box tyresShop Bedford Box tyres on AmazonaffiliateFind Bedford Box tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

All Bedford models MOT failure rates comparedRanked worst to bestBedford Cf MOT failures33.4% failure rateBedford Rascal MOT failures32.9% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Bedford Box?

It fails 37.3% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 59 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is lamps & electrical, at 63.6% of this model's failures.