Know Your MOT
25.7%fail rate

Microcar Virgo Prestige common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 4,679 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 25.7% of MOT tests recorded on the Microcar Virgo Prestige 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 49.5% of the Microcar Virgo Prestige's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, exhaust & emissions, other. 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

Brakes49.5% 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 & electrical28.6% 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.

Exhaust & emissions28.2% 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.

Other25.8% of failures

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

Suspension15.4% 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.

Tyres11.5% 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).

200126.1% fail · 1,176 tests
200223.7% fail · 1,703 tests
200327.2% fail · 1,456 tests
200429.2% fail · 240 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: Microcar Virgo Prestige brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Microcar Virgo Prestige brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Microcar Virgo Prestige brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Microcar Virgo Prestige headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Microcar Virgo Prestige headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Microcar Virgo Prestige headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Microcar Virgo Prestige exhaustSearch Amazon for Microcar Virgo Prestige exhaustaffiliate searchFind Microcar Virgo Prestige exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Microcar Virgo Prestige suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Microcar Virgo Prestige suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Microcar Virgo Prestige suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Microcar Virgo Prestige tyresSearch Amazon for Microcar Virgo Prestige tyresaffiliate searchFind Microcar Virgo Prestige tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Microcar Mc1 MOT failures27.4% failure rateMicrocar Mgo MOT failures22.3% failure rateMicrocar M MOT failures18.4% 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