Know Your MOT
12.0%fail rate

Yamaha Rd350 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Yamaha Rd350 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 22,728 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 12.0% of MOT tests recorded on the Yamaha Rd350 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 23.0% of the Yamaha Rd350's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, other, suspension. 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

Brakes23.0% 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.

Lamps & electrical21.2% 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.

Other11.8% of failures

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

Suspension9.9% 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.

Steering6.4% 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.

Tyres5.0% 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).

198815.5% fail · 871 tests
198911.7% fail · 1,157 tests
199012.6% fail · 1,209 tests
199112.9% fail · 720 tests
199213.9% fail · 380 tests
199315.3% fail · 451 tests
199413.7% fail · 358 tests
199513.3% fail · 362 tests
201212.2% fail · 156 tests
201314.7% fail · 170 tests
20149.8% fail · 123 tests
201512.3% fail · 154 tests
201610.5% fail · 191 tests
20179.6% fail · 312 tests
201810.9% fail · 129 tests
20197.6% fail · 118 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: Yamaha Rd350 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Yamaha Rd350 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Yamaha Rd350 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Yamaha Rd350 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Yamaha Rd350 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Yamaha Rd350 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Yamaha Rd350 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Yamaha Rd350 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Yamaha Rd350 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Yamaha Rd350 steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Yamaha Rd350 steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Yamaha Rd350 steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Yamaha Rd350 tyresSearch Amazon for Yamaha Rd350 tyresaffiliate searchFind Yamaha Rd350 tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Yamaha Yzf MOT failures16.6% failure rateYamaha Fzs600 MOT failures15.0% failure rateYamaha Mt MOT failures13.0% 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