Know Your MOT
20.8%fail rate

Onyx Firecat common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 77 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 20.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Onyx Firecat 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 56.2% of the Onyx Firecat's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, other, exhaust & emissions. 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

Brakes56.2% 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 & electrical50.0% 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.

Other50.0% of failures

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

Exhaust & emissions31.2% 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.

Visibility/wipers25.0% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Suspension18.8% 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.

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: Onyx Firecat brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Onyx Firecat brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Onyx Firecat brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Onyx Firecat headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Onyx Firecat headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Onyx Firecat headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Onyx Firecat exhaustSearch Amazon for Onyx Firecat exhaustaffiliate searchFind Onyx Firecat exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Onyx Firecat wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Onyx Firecat wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Onyx Firecat wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Onyx Firecat suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Onyx Firecat suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Onyx Firecat suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Onyx Fire Fly MOT failures10.0% failure rateOnyx Firefox MOT failures11.1% failure rateOnyx Fire Cat MOT failures36.4% 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