MOT failure rate and common problems for the Kawasaki Ex500-D5, and how to check your own car by registration.
Updated 05 September 2026.
Kawasaki Ex500-D5 MOT failure rate
What a Kawasaki Ex500-D5 fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.
What it fails on, and why
This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.
Other models
Questions and answers
What is the MOT failure rate of the Kawasaki Ex500-D5?
It fails 13.6% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 59 tests.
What do these cars fail their MOT on most?
The most common failure area is other, at 50.0% of this model's failures.