Know Your MOT
17.3%fail rate

Honda Xl250r common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Honda Xl250r fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 191 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 17.3% of MOT tests recorded on the Honda Xl250r 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 33.3% of the Honda Xl250r's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, other, tyres. 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 & electrical33.3% 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.

Brakes24.2% 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.

Other21.2% of failures

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

Tyres12.1% 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.

Suspension12.1% 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.

Registration plate6.1% of failures

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

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: Honda Xl250r headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Honda Xl250r headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Honda Xl250r headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Honda Xl250r brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Honda Xl250r brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Honda Xl250r brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Honda Xl250r tyresSearch Amazon for Honda Xl250r tyresaffiliate searchFind Honda Xl250r tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Honda Xl250r suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Honda Xl250r suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Honda Xl250r suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Honda Xl250r number plateSearch Amazon for Honda Xl250r number plateaffiliate searchFind Honda Xl250r number plate on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Honda Civic MOT failures26.3% failure rateHonda Jazz MOT failures18.9% failure rateHonda Cr-V MOT failures21.4% 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