Know Your MOT
24.0%fail rate

Kawasaki Kh125 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Kawasaki Kh125 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 2,929 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 24.0% of MOT tests recorded on the Kawasaki Kh125 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 45.7% of the Kawasaki Kh125's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, other, suspension. 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 & electrical45.7% 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.

Brakes29.2% 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.

Other24.5% of failures

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

Suspension11.4% 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.

Tyres10.5% 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.

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.

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).

198429.7% fail · 101 tests
198625.9% fail · 166 tests
198824.4% fail · 197 tests
198923.8% fail · 256 tests
199027.1% fail · 258 tests
199126.3% fail · 167 tests
199226.7% fail · 101 tests
199320.9% fail · 172 tests
199417.7% fail · 231 tests
199520.6% fail · 175 tests
199625.4% fail · 197 tests
199715.0% fail · 200 tests
199828.6% fail · 245 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 lamps & electrical failure: Kawasaki Kh125 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kh125 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kh125 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Kawasaki Kh125 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kh125 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kh125 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kawasaki Kh125 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kh125 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kh125 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Kawasaki Kh125 tyresSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kh125 tyresaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kh125 tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Kawasaki Kh125 steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kh125 steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kh125 steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Kawasaki Zx MOT failures11.0% failure rateKawasaki Zx-6r MOT failures18.2% failure rateKawasaki Zr MOT failures11.5% 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