Know Your MOT
16.5%fail rate

Buick Skylark common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 376 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 16.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Buick Skylark in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 51.6% of the Buick Skylark's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, visibility/wipers, suspension. 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

Brakes51.6% 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.

Lamps & electrical51.6% 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/wipers19.4% 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.

Suspension17.7% 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.

Exhaust & emissions14.5% 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.

Seat belts9.7% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

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 brakes failure: Buick Skylark brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Buick Skylark brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Buick Skylark brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Buick Skylark headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Buick Skylark headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Buick Skylark headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Buick Skylark wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Buick Skylark wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Buick Skylark wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Buick Skylark suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Buick Skylark suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Buick Skylark suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Buick Skylark exhaustSearch Amazon for Buick Skylark exhaustaffiliate searchFind Buick Skylark exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Buick Skylark seat beltsSearch Amazon for Buick Skylark seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Buick Skylark seat belts on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Buick Riviera MOT failures18.2% failure rateBuick Regal MOT failures22.8% failure rateBuick Le Sabre MOT failures18.1% 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