Home / Research / The cars that fail most on tyres
The cars that fail most on tyres
Which cars fail their MOT most on tyres?
Ranked by tyres defects recorded per MOT test, the BMW I4 records this area most often at 10.4%. A single test can record more than one defect, so this measures how prone a model is to tyres faults, not the share of tests failed overall.
| # | Model | Tyres defects per test | Tyres defects | Tests analysed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW I4 | 10.4% | 1,569 | 15,144 |
| 2 | Tesla Model Y | 10.0% | 7,978 | 79,502 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz Eqc | 10.0% | 3,687 | 36,908 |
| 4 | Tesla Model X | 9.9% | 3,715 | 37,530 |
| 5 | Ford Courier | 9.9% | 3,198 | 32,455 |
| 6 | Tesla Model 3 | 9.7% | 28,751 | 295,025 |
| 7 | Rover 115 | 9.1% | 1,542 | 16,962 |
| 8 | Fiat Multipla | 9.0% | 22,908 | 253,591 |
| 9 | Alfa Romeo 146 | 9.0% | 3,196 | 35,546 |
| 10 | Renault 19 | 8.9% | 2,603 | 29,410 |
| 11 | Ford Escort | 8.7% | 436,308 | 5,012,646 |
| 12 | Rover 418 | 8.7% | 3,885 | 44,826 |
| 13 | Renault Extra | 8.6% | 4,127 | 48,041 |
| 14 | BMW 330e | 8.5% | 5,735 | 67,096 |
| 15 | Rover 420 | 8.5% | 31,468 | 369,483 |
| 16 | BMW 640 Series | 8.5% | 9,713 | 114,106 |
| 17 | Fiat Brava | 8.5% | 37,281 | 438,529 |
| 18 | Daewoo Nubira | 8.5% | 11,061 | 130,543 |
| 19 | Vauxhall Calibra | 8.5% | 9,583 | 113,102 |
| 20 | Audi Q4 | 8.4% | 2,373 | 28,241 |
| 21 | Alfa Romeo 156 | 8.4% | 40,826 | 487,745 |
| 22 | Alfa Romeo 166 | 8.3% | 2,550 | 30,665 |
| 23 | Nissan Prairie | 8.3% | 1,586 | 19,086 |
| 24 | Renault 5 | 8.3% | 1,884 | 22,721 |
| 25 | Nissan E-Nv200 | 8.3% | 2,503 | 30,234 |
| 26 | BMW Ix3 | 8.2% | 1,860 | 22,648 |
| 27 | Fiat Stilo | 8.2% | 46,603 | 569,837 |
| 28 | Rover 218 | 8.1% | 8,689 | 106,687 |
| 29 | Hyundai Lantra | 8.1% | 11,853 | 145,947 |
| 30 | Fiat Marea | 8.1% | 12,681 | 157,085 |
| 31 | Mercedes-Benz Cls | 8.0% | 33,985 | 422,472 |
| 32 | Nissan Sunny | 8.0% | 29,171 | 362,669 |
| 33 | Vauxhall Omega | 8.0% | 54,653 | 680,873 |
| 34 | Alfa Romeo 145 | 8.0% | 2,328 | 29,035 |
| 35 | Rover 220 | 8.0% | 20,661 | 258,088 |
| 36 | Fiat Uno | 8.0% | 5,345 | 67,032 |
| 37 | SEAT Inca | 7.9% | 6,511 | 82,386 |
| 38 | SEAT Cordoba | 7.9% | 8,321 | 105,687 |
| 39 | Renault R21 | 7.8% | 1,833 | 23,367 |
| 40 | Rover 216i | 7.8% | 4,842 | 62,181 |
| 41 | Hyundai Atoz | 7.8% | 8,506 | 109,359 |
| 42 | Renault R19 | 7.7% | 8,212 | 106,034 |
| 43 | Alfa Romeo Gt | 7.7% | 9,177 | 118,954 |
| 44 | Rover 620 | 7.7% | 29,046 | 377,675 |
| 45 | Leyland Daf 400 | 7.6% | 1,778 | 23,337 |
| 46 | Volkswagen E-Golf | 7.6% | 2,473 | 32,594 |
| 47 | Vauxhall Combo | 7.6% | 253,710 | 3,348,367 |
| 48 | Alfa Romeo 147 | 7.6% | 31,200 | 412,126 |
| 49 | Alfa Romeo 159 | 7.6% | 11,211 | 148,259 |
| 50 | Vauxhall Sintra | 7.6% | 2,390 | 31,615 |
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.
Republish this
This table is free to reproduce with a link to Know Your MOT. Embed the live version:
Related studies
Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain