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The cars that fail most on brakes
Which cars fail their MOT most on brakes?
Ranked by brakes defects recorded per MOT test, the Mercedes-Benz 308 records this area most often at 24.6%. A single test can record more than one defect, so this measures how prone a model is to brakes faults, not the share of tests failed overall.
| # | Model | Brakes defects per test | Brakes defects | Tests analysed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes-Benz 308 | 24.6% | 24,279 | 98,715 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Sintra | 23.8% | 7,512 | 31,615 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz 312 | 22.7% | 5,971 | 26,314 |
| 4 | Rover 115 | 21.6% | 3,661 | 16,962 |
| 5 | Fiat Coupe | 21.4% | 16,216 | 75,735 |
| 6 | Leyland Daf 400 | 21.1% | 4,928 | 23,337 |
| 7 | Rover 620 | 20.9% | 79,023 | 377,675 |
| 8 | Kia Pride | 20.4% | 15,290 | 75,055 |
| 9 | Fiat Cinquecento | 20.3% | 42,501 | 209,105 |
| 10 | Nissan Cabstar | 20.2% | 70,119 | 347,743 |
| 11 | Ldv Cub | 19.8% | 10,720 | 54,017 |
| 12 | Volkswagen Lt | 19.6% | 109,309 | 557,010 |
| 13 | Nissan Vanette | 19.6% | 40,411 | 206,379 |
| 14 | Renault 19 | 19.5% | 5,737 | 29,410 |
| 15 | Daewoo Musso | 19.5% | 4,633 | 23,804 |
| 16 | Alfa Romeo 146 | 19.3% | 6,867 | 35,546 |
| 17 | Ssangyong Musso | 19.3% | 7,825 | 40,532 |
| 18 | Mercedes-Benz 208 | 19.1% | 16,858 | 88,485 |
| 19 | Alfa Romeo 145 | 18.9% | 5,491 | 29,035 |
| 20 | Ford Courier | 18.9% | 6,125 | 32,455 |
| 21 | Citroen Ax | 18.9% | 66,025 | 350,263 |
| 22 | Mazda 121 | 18.8% | 10,179 | 54,021 |
| 23 | Rover 618 | 18.7% | 21,450 | 114,578 |
| 24 | Fiat Uno | 18.5% | 12,421 | 67,032 |
| 25 | Peugeot 309 | 18.4% | 17,306 | 94,217 |
| 26 | Ldv 400 | 18.3% | 43,640 | 238,115 |
| 27 | Volvo 400 | 18.3% | 58,974 | 322,542 |
| 28 | Daewoo Leganza | 18.1% | 11,238 | 62,080 |
| 29 | Fiat Seicento | 18.1% | 97,386 | 538,231 |
| 30 | Citroen Zx | 18.1% | 84,705 | 468,844 |
| 31 | Peugeot 405 | 18.0% | 70,896 | 394,062 |
| 32 | Rover 623 | 17.9% | 6,243 | 34,835 |
| 33 | Ldv Convoy | 17.9% | 94,547 | 527,693 |
| 34 | Vauxhall Calibra | 17.7% | 20,056 | 113,102 |
| 35 | Audi 100 | 17.7% | 9,867 | 55,764 |
| 36 | SEAT Inca | 17.7% | 14,561 | 82,386 |
| 37 | Peugeot 205 | 17.4% | 103,619 | 594,278 |
| 38 | Alfa Romeo Gtv | 17.2% | 16,264 | 94,306 |
| 39 | Rover 820 | 17.1% | 15,843 | 92,758 |
| 40 | Bedford Cf | 17.1% | 3,091 | 18,102 |
| 41 | Renault R19 | 17.1% | 18,094 | 106,034 |
| 42 | Daewoo Nubira | 16.9% | 21,998 | 130,543 |
| 43 | Rover 420 | 16.6% | 61,518 | 369,483 |
| 44 | Fiat Brava | 16.6% | 72,748 | 438,529 |
| 45 | Mitsubishi Fto | 16.6% | 9,200 | 55,527 |
| 46 | Vauxhall Midi | 16.5% | 3,090 | 18,680 |
| 47 | Mazda Mx-3 | 16.5% | 11,775 | 71,354 |
| 48 | Mazda 626 | 16.4% | 53,723 | 326,996 |
| 49 | Ldv 200 | 16.4% | 9,327 | 56,962 |
| 50 | Ford Escort | 16.3% | 817,765 | 5,012,646 |
How this is worked out
Every figure is computed from the full DVSA MOT test and defect record, not a survey or a poll. Rates are the share of MOT tests that end in a failure (or a pass); area figures count that area's recorded defects against tests taken. A model is only ranked once it clears a minimum test count, so a single unlucky batch cannot distort a list. Motorcycles, which share the MOT dataset, are excluded so these are genuine car rankings. Age is the strongest driver of MOT failure, so older models and vans naturally rank higher. Figures describe how a model performs across the fleet; they are not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Data as of September 2026.
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Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain