Know Your MOT
21.5%fail rate

Kawasaki Zxr common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 4,035 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 21.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Kawasaki Zxr 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 31.8% of the Kawasaki Zxr'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 & electrical31.8% 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.

Brakes30.8% 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.

Other21.1% of failures

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

Suspension14.9% 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.

Tyres11.1% 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.

Exhaust & emissions7.5% 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.

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).

198922.3% fail · 354 tests
199022.7% fail · 198 tests
199127.6% fail · 170 tests
199218.6% fail · 279 tests
199422.1% fail · 244 tests
199522.1% fail · 488 tests
199623.5% fail · 387 tests
199721.5% fail · 335 tests
199822.7% fail · 444 tests
199921.8% fail · 216 tests
200019.0% fail · 142 tests
200122.5% fail · 129 tests
200318.3% fail · 120 tests
200412.7% fail · 150 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 Zxr headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zxr headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zxr headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Kawasaki Zxr brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zxr brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zxr brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Kawasaki Zxr suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zxr suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zxr suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Kawasaki Zxr tyresSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zxr tyresaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zxr tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Kawasaki Zxr exhaustSearch Amazon for Kawasaki Zxr exhaustaffiliate searchFind Kawasaki Zxr 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