Know Your MOT
19.6%fail rate

Porsche 996 Carrera common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Porsche 996 Carrera fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 112 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 19.6% of MOT tests recorded on the Porsche 996 Carrera 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 Porsche 996 Carrera's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, tyres. 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.

Suspension22.7% 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.

Brakes22.7% 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.

Tyres9.1% 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.

Visibility/wipers9.1% 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.

Registration plate4.5% of failures

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

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: Porsche 996 Carrera headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Porsche 996 Carrera headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Porsche 996 Carrera headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Porsche 996 Carrera suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Porsche 996 Carrera suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Porsche 996 Carrera suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Porsche 996 Carrera brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Porsche 996 Carrera brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Porsche 996 Carrera brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Porsche 996 Carrera tyresSearch Amazon for Porsche 996 Carrera tyresaffiliate searchFind Porsche 996 Carrera tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Porsche 996 Carrera wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Porsche 996 Carrera wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Porsche 996 Carrera wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Porsche 996 Carrera number plateSearch Amazon for Porsche 996 Carrera number plateaffiliate searchFind Porsche 996 Carrera number plate on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Porsche 911 MOT failures14.7% failure ratePorsche Boxster MOT failures17.2% failure ratePorsche Cayenne MOT failures15.4% 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