Know Your MOT
33.4%fail rate

Bedford Midi common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 5,566 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 33.4% of MOT tests recorded on the Bedford Midi 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 48.2% of the Bedford Midi's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, visibility/wipers. 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 & electrical48.2% 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.

Brakes46.8% 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.

Suspension32.0% 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.

Visibility/wipers25.4% 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 & emissions25.1% 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.

Body & structure14.2% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

198432.8% fail · 204 tests
198533.8% fail · 361 tests
198635.2% fail · 1,144 tests
198731.6% fail · 534 tests
198831.4% fail · 879 tests
198935.4% fail · 1,198 tests
199033.0% fail · 701 tests

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: Bedford Midi headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Bedford Midi headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Bedford Midi headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Bedford Midi brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Bedford Midi brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Bedford Midi brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Bedford Midi suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Bedford Midi suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Bedford Midi suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Bedford Midi wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Bedford Midi wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Bedford Midi wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Bedford Midi exhaustSearch Amazon for Bedford Midi exhaustaffiliate searchFind Bedford Midi exhaust on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Bedford Rascal MOT failures32.9% failure rateBedford Cf MOT failures33.4% failure rateBedford Camper MOT failures32.7% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

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