Know Your MOT
22.4%fail rate

Chevrolet Explorer common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 125 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 22.4% of MOT tests recorded on the Chevrolet Explorer 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 42.9% of the Chevrolet Explorer's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, suspension, 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 & electrical42.9% 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.

Brakes32.1% 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.

Suspension17.9% 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 & emissions7.1% 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.

Visibility/wipers7.1% 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.

Seat belts7.1% 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 lamps & electrical failure: Chevrolet Explorer headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Chevrolet Explorer headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Chevrolet Explorer headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Chevrolet Explorer brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Chevrolet Explorer brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Chevrolet Explorer brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Chevrolet Explorer suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Chevrolet Explorer suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Chevrolet Explorer suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Chevrolet Explorer exhaustSearch Amazon for Chevrolet Explorer exhaustaffiliate searchFind Chevrolet Explorer exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Chevrolet Explorer wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Chevrolet Explorer wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Chevrolet Explorer wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Chevrolet Explorer seat beltsSearch Amazon for Chevrolet Explorer seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Chevrolet Explorer seat belts on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Chevrolet Matiz MOT failures29.2% failure rateChevrolet Spark MOT failures28.0% failure rateChevrolet Aveo MOT failures30.2% 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