Know Your MOT
34.1%fail rate

Proton Persona common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 107,545 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 34.1% of MOT tests recorded on the Proton Persona 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 43.0% of the Proton Persona's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, tyres, steering. 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 & electrical43.0% 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.

Brakes40.4% 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.

Tyres21.8% 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.

Steering21.6% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Exhaust & emissions20.0% 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.

Suspension15.1% 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).

199332.6% fail · 904 tests
199435.7% fail · 8,185 tests
199534.4% fail · 10,475 tests
199633.7% fail · 10,679 tests
199734.6% fail · 29,304 tests
199834.2% fail · 20,557 tests
199933.4% fail · 19,009 tests
200033.6% fail · 5,035 tests
200132.5% fail · 754 tests
200829.5% fail · 942 tests
200931.3% fail · 726 tests
201024.6% fail · 268 tests
201125.3% fail · 316 tests
201221.9% fail · 151 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: Proton Persona headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Proton Persona headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Proton Persona headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Proton Persona brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Proton Persona brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Proton Persona brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Proton Persona tyresSearch Amazon for Proton Persona tyresaffiliate searchFind Proton Persona tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Proton Persona steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Proton Persona steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Proton Persona steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Proton Persona exhaustSearch Amazon for Proton Persona exhaustaffiliate searchFind Proton Persona exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Proton Persona suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Proton Persona suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Proton Persona suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Proton Gen-2 MOT failures29.5% failure rateProton Wira MOT failures30.0% failure rateProton Savvy MOT failures31.1% 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