Know Your MOT

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

Updated 05 September 2026.

25.9%fail rate

Imperial Hearse MOT failure rate

What a Imperial Hearse fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical73.3% 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.

Brakes40.0% 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.

Suspension40.0% 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.

Other26.7% of failures

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

Registration plate26.7% 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/wipers20.0% 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.

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 lamps & electrical failure: Imperial Hearse headlight and indicator bulbsShop Imperial Hearse headlight and indicator bulbs on AmazonaffiliateFind Imperial Hearse headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Imperial Hearse brake pads and discsShop Imperial Hearse brake pads and discs on AmazonaffiliateFind Imperial Hearse brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Imperial Hearse suspension springs and shock absorbersShop Imperial Hearse suspension springs and shock absorbers on AmazonaffiliateFind Imperial Hearse suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Imperial Hearse number plateShop Imperial Hearse number plate on AmazonaffiliateFind Imperial Hearse number plate on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Imperial Hearse wiper bladesShop Imperial Hearse wiper blades on AmazonaffiliateFind Imperial Hearse wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Imperial Viscount MOT failures24.1% failure rateImperial Wedding MOT failures15.0% failure rateImperial Imperial MOT failures19.5% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Imperial Hearse?

It fails 25.9% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 58 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is lamps & electrical, at 73.3% of this model's failures.