Know Your MOT

MOT failure rate and common problems for the Harley Davidson Hardtail, and how to check your own car by registration.

Updated 05 September 2026.

18.2%fail rate

Harley Davidson Hardtail MOT failure rate

What a Harley Davidson Hardtail fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Other30.0% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Registration plate10.0% of failures

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

Steering10.0% 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.

Lamps & electrical10.0% 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.

Brakes10.0% 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 registration plate failure: Harley Davidson Hardtail number plateShop Harley Davidson Hardtail number plate on AmazonaffiliateFind Harley Davidson Hardtail number plate on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Harley Davidson Hardtail steering track rod endsShop Harley Davidson Hardtail steering track rod ends on AmazonaffiliateFind Harley Davidson Hardtail steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Harley Davidson Hardtail headlight and indicator bulbsShop Harley Davidson Hardtail headlight and indicator bulbs on AmazonaffiliateFind Harley Davidson Hardtail headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Harley Davidson Hardtail brake pads and discsShop Harley Davidson Hardtail brake pads and discs on AmazonaffiliateFind Harley Davidson Hardtail brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate

Other models

All Harley Davidson models MOT failure rates comparedRanked worst to bestHarley Davidson Xl MOT failures10.7% failure rateHarley Davidson Flstf MOT failures9.8% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Harley Davidson Hardtail?

It fails 18.2% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 55 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is other, at 30.0% of this model's failures.