Know Your MOT
16.9%fail rate

Kawasaki Kle500 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Kawasaki Kle500 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 9,278 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 16.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Kawasaki Kle500 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 31.4% of the Kawasaki Kle500's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, 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

Brakes31.4% 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.

Lamps & electrical22.4% 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.

Other16.8% of failures

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

Tyres8.0% 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.

Suspension5.4% 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.

Exhaust & emissions4.0% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

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).

199120.7% fail · 764 tests
199220.8% fail · 638 tests
199318.5% fail · 583 tests
199415.4% fail · 520 tests
199518.5% fail · 486 tests
199619.1% fail · 324 tests
199720.7% fail · 169 tests
199814.7% fail · 204 tests
199916.1% fail · 236 tests
200014.5% fail · 165 tests
200515.7% fail · 2,934 tests
200614.8% fail · 1,021 tests
200714.3% fail · 558 tests
200816.2% fail · 456 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 brakes failure: Kawasaki Kle500 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kle500 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kle500 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Kawasaki Kle500 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kle500 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kle500 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Kawasaki Kle500 tyresSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kle500 tyresaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kle500 tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kawasaki Kle500 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kle500 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kle500 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Kawasaki Kle500 exhaustSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Kle500 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Kle500 exhaust 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