Know Your MOT
7.1%fail rate

Ferrari California common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 17,954 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 7.1% of MOT tests recorded on the Ferrari California in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is tyres, which makes up 28.3% of the Ferrari California's failures, followed by tyres, brakes, suspension, lamps & electrical. 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

Tyres28.3% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Brakes15.2% 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.

Suspension14.8% 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.

Lamps & electrical14.0% 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.

Registration plate10.1% of failures

A missing, damaged, dirty or incorrectly-spaced number plate, or one using the wrong font, will fail. A replacement plate is inexpensive.

Visibility/wipers8.4% 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.

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).

20099.2% fail · 2,577 tests
20108.7% fail · 3,455 tests
20117.3% fail · 2,205 tests
20127.2% fail · 1,780 tests
20136.2% fail · 1,142 tests
20146.3% fail · 1,279 tests
20156.2% fail · 2,400 tests
20165.6% fail · 1,859 tests
20173.9% fail · 1,051 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 tyres failure: Ferrari California tyresSearch Amazon for Ferrari California tyresaffiliate searchFind Ferrari California tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ferrari California brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ferrari California brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ferrari California brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ferrari California suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ferrari California suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ferrari California suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Ferrari California headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ferrari California headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ferrari California headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Ferrari California number plateSearch Amazon for Ferrari California number plateaffiliate searchFind Ferrari California number plate on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Ferrari California wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Ferrari California wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Ferrari California wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Ferrari 360 MOT failures9.6% failure rateFerrari F430 MOT failures10.1% failure rateFerrari F355 MOT failures11.8% 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