Know Your MOT
14.7%fail rate

Kawasaki Zl1000 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Kawasaki Zl1000 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 1,254 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 14.7% of MOT tests recorded on the Kawasaki Zl1000 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 27.7% of the Kawasaki Zl1000's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, 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

Brakes27.7% 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 & electrical21.2% 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.

Other10.3% of failures

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

Suspension9.2% 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 & emissions6.5% 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.

Tyres6.0% 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.

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).

198717.2% fail · 650 tests
198812.1% fail · 272 tests
198915.0% fail · 127 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 Zl1000 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zl1000 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zl1000 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Kawasaki Zl1000 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zl1000 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zl1000 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kawasaki Zl1000 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zl1000 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zl1000 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Kawasaki Zl1000 exhaustSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zl1000 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zl1000 exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Kawasaki Zl1000 tyresSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zl1000 tyresaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zl1000 tyres 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