Worst cars for brakes MOT failures
These models fail their MOT on brakes more than any other, ranked by the share of their tests that fail this specific area.
Which cars fail their MOT most on brakes?
This ranks models by the share of their MOT tests that fail on brakes, not by their overall failure rate. The Vauxhall Sintra tops the list, failing this area on 23.8% of its tests. Only models with at least 5,000 tests and 500 recorded failures in this area are included.
| # | Model | Fails on brake | Overall failure rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauxhall Sintra | 23.8% | 39.0% | 31,615 |
| 2 | Alfa Romeo 155 | 22.9% | 38.4% | 13,890 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz 312 | 22.7% | 35.6% | 26,314 |
| 4 | Rover 115 | 21.6% | 41.9% | 16,962 |
| 5 | Metrocab Manual | 21.3% | 36.5% | 6,790 |
| 6 | Rover 620 | 20.9% | 37.0% | 377,670 |
| 7 | Fiat Coupe | 20.7% | 35.4% | 75,720 |
| 8 | Nissan Cabstar | 20.2% | 35.7% | 347,607 |
| 9 | Fiat Tempra | 19.9% | 39.5% | 14,920 |
| 10 | Mercedes-Benz 310 | 19.9% | 34.7% | 12,732 |
| 11 | Volkswagen Lt | 19.6% | 34.8% | 556,930 |
| 12 | Nissan Vanette | 19.6% | 37.5% | 206,378 |
| 13 | Renault 19 | 19.5% | 39.9% | 29,410 |
| 14 | Daewoo Musso | 19.5% | 33.4% | 23,804 |
| 15 | Alfa Romeo 146 | 19.3% | 39.5% | 35,546 |
| 16 | Alfa Romeo 164 | 19.3% | 36.7% | 9,171 |
| 17 | Fiat Cinquecento | 19.1% | 37.6% | 209,100 |
| 18 | Ldv Cub | 19.1% | 37.1% | 54,017 |
| 19 | Citroen Ax | 18.9% | 37.6% | 350,257 |
| 20 | Ford Courier | 18.9% | 38.6% | 32,454 |
| 21 | Alfa Romeo 145 | 18.9% | 38.9% | 29,033 |
| 22 | Tata Safari | 18.8% | 39.2% | 7,291 |
| 23 | Rover 618 | 18.7% | 35.4% | 114,575 |
| 24 | Audi 90 | 18.5% | 34.5% | 13,488 |
| 25 | Peugeot 309 | 18.4% | 35.6% | 94,211 |
| 26 | Citroen Zx | 18.1% | 36.7% | 468,840 |
| 27 | Daewoo Leganza | 18.1% | 32.8% | 62,079 |
| 28 | Peugeot 405 | 18.0% | 36.0% | 394,060 |
| 29 | Kia Pride | 18.0% | 39.0% | 75,055 |
| 30 | Metrocab Auto | 18.0% | 34.1% | 9,080 |
| 31 | Ldv Convoy | 17.9% | 35.8% | 527,681 |
| 32 | Rover 623 | 17.9% | 35.2% | 34,835 |
| 33 | Fiat Seicento | 17.7% | 33.0% | 538,220 |
| 34 | Vauxhall Calibra | 17.7% | 36.8% | 113,098 |
| 35 | Audi 100 | 17.7% | 34.8% | 55,762 |
| 36 | Mazda 121 | 17.5% | 37.3% | 54,021 |
| 37 | Peugeot 205 | 17.4% | 36.0% | 594,229 |
| 38 | Vauxhall Astramax | 17.4% | 41.1% | 6,925 |
| 39 | Ssangyong Musso | 17.3% | 31.9% | 40,466 |
| 40 | Alfa Romeo Gtv | 17.2% | 34.3% | 94,291 |
Why do so many of these fail on brakes?
A high rate here usually points to a design or wear pattern that hits this area harder than average, combined with age. The explainer page sets out what the tester checks and why brakes fail, so you can spot it before a test.
Other MOT ranking lists
The models that fail most on other areas, and the overall best and worst.
Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain