Know Your MOT
8.2%fail rate

Matchless 250 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Matchless 250 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 61 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 8.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Matchless 250 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 40.0% of the Matchless 250's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, fuel system, suspension, brakes. 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 & electrical40.0% 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.

Fuel system20.0% of failures

Fuel-system failures are leaks or an insecure filler cap.

Suspension20.0% 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.

Brakes20.0% 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.

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: Matchless 250 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Matchless 250 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Matchless 250 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Matchless 250 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Matchless 250 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Matchless 250 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Matchless 250 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Matchless 250 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Matchless 250 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Matchless G80 MOT failures7.5% failure rateMatchless G12 MOT failures7.2% failure rateMatchless G3 MOT failures7.0% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain