Know Your MOT

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

Updated 05 September 2026.

5.4%fail rate

Cotton Continental MOT failure rate

What a Cotton Continental fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Visibility/wipers33.3% 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.

Steering33.3% 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.

Brakes33.3% 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.

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 visibility/wipers failure: Cotton Continental wiper bladesShop Cotton Continental wiper blades on AmazonaffiliateFind Cotton Continental wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Cotton Continental steering track rod endsShop Cotton Continental steering track rod ends on AmazonaffiliateFind Cotton Continental steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Cotton Continental brake pads and discsShop Cotton Continental brake pads and discs on AmazonaffiliateFind Cotton Continental brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Cotton Trials MOT failures3.9% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rateFord Focus MOT failures26.1% failure rateVauxhall Corsa MOT failures29.9% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Cotton Continental?

It fails 5.4% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 56 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is visibility/wipers, at 33.3% of this model's failures.