Know Your MOT
32.9%fail rate

Bedford Rascal common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 15,963 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 32.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Bedford Rascal 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 49.7% of the Bedford Rascal'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 & electrical49.7% 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.

Brakes42.8% 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.

Suspension29.0% 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/wipers19.7% 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 & emissions18.7% 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.

Steering16.7% 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.

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).

198631.1% fail · 1,023 tests
198733.6% fail · 2,306 tests
198833.3% fail · 3,909 tests
198932.6% fail · 5,428 tests
199032.9% fail · 2,962 tests
199134.5% fail · 110 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 Rascal headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Bedford Rascal headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Bedford Rascal headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Bedford Rascal brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Bedford Rascal brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Bedford Rascal brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Bedford Rascal suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Bedford Rascal suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Bedford Rascal suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Bedford Rascal wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Bedford Rascal wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Bedford Rascal wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Bedford Rascal exhaustSearch Amazon for Bedford Rascal exhaustaffiliate searchFind Bedford Rascal exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Bedford Rascal steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Bedford Rascal steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Bedford Rascal steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Bedford Cf MOT failures33.4% failure rateBedford Midi 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