Know Your MOT
12.6%fail rate

Ktm 500 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Ktm 500 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 3,108 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 12.6% of MOT tests recorded on the Ktm 500 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 24.2% of the Ktm 500's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, other, brakes, registration plate. 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 & electrical24.2% 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.

Other13.7% of failures

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

Brakes10.4% 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.

Registration plate9.7% of failures

A missing, damaged, dirty or incorrectly-spaced number plate, or one using the wrong font, will fail. A replacement plate is inexpensive.

Tyres7.9% 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.

Suspension4.1% 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.

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).

201314.1% fail · 184 tests
201411.9% fail · 519 tests
201514.4% fail · 355 tests
201612.9% fail · 503 tests
20179.8% fail · 347 tests
201812.1% fail · 282 tests
201912.7% fail · 315 tests
202012.4% fail · 185 tests
202111.5% fail · 131 tests
202212.0% fail · 108 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: Ktm 500 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ktm 500 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ktm 500 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ktm 500 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ktm 500 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ktm 500 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Ktm 500 number plateSearch Amazon for Ktm 500 number plateaffiliate searchFind Ktm 500 number plate on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Ktm 500 tyresSearch Amazon for Ktm 500 tyresaffiliate searchFind Ktm 500 tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ktm 500 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ktm 500 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ktm 500 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Ktm 1290 Superduke MOT failures8.6% failure rateKtm 250 MOT failures17.7% failure rateKtm 125 Duke MOT failures21.2% 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