Worst cars for the exhaust MOT failures
These models fail their MOT on the exhaust and emissions more than any other, ranked by the share of their tests that fail this specific area.
Which cars fail their MOT most on the exhaust and emissions?
This ranks models by the share of their MOT tests that fail on the exhaust and emissions, not by their overall failure rate. The Mitsubishi Chariot tops the list, failing this area on 14.0% of its tests. Only models with at least 5,000 tests and 500 recorded failures in this area are included.
| # | Model | Fails on emissions | Overall failure rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitsubishi Chariot | 14.0% | 34.5% | 6,290 |
| 2 | Rover Metro | 13.2% | 37.1% | 278,208 |
| 3 | Alfa Romeo 155 | 12.9% | 38.4% | 13,890 |
| 4 | Mitsubishi Fto | 12.7% | 36.0% | 55,526 |
| 5 | Rover 220 | 12.0% | 37.5% | 258,082 |
| 6 | Tata Safari | 11.9% | 39.2% | 7,291 |
| 7 | Alfa Romeo 146 | 11.7% | 39.5% | 35,546 |
| 8 | Alfa Romeo 164 | 11.7% | 36.7% | 9,171 |
| 9 | Alfa Romeo 145 | 11.5% | 38.9% | 29,033 |
| 10 | Kia Pride | 11.4% | 39.0% | 75,055 |
| 11 | Daewoo Nexia | 11.3% | 36.2% | 79,431 |
| 12 | Renault 19 | 11.3% | 39.9% | 29,410 |
| 13 | Toyota Townace | 11.2% | 32.5% | 12,047 |
| 14 | Vauxhall Calibra | 11.1% | 36.8% | 113,098 |
| 15 | Renault 5 | 11.0% | 38.0% | 22,719 |
| 16 | Rover 214 | 10.9% | 32.4% | 1,034,342 |
| 17 | Citroen Saxo | 10.7% | 36.0% | 2,459,366 |
| 18 | Rover 216i | 10.6% | 34.3% | 62,181 |
| 19 | Renault 21 | 10.6% | 40.3% | 5,102 |
| 20 | Peugeot 106 | 10.5% | 34.6% | 2,883,158 |
| 21 | Rover MINI | 10.5% | 33.0% | 526,971 |
| 22 | Ford Probe | 10.5% | 36.0% | 68,995 |
| 23 | Rover 414 | 10.4% | 33.5% | 376,704 |
| 24 | Audi 100 | 10.4% | 34.8% | 55,762 |
| 25 | Daihatsu Grand Move | 10.4% | 30.7% | 40,031 |
| 26 | Vauxhall Astramax | 10.4% | 41.1% | 6,925 |
| 27 | Mitsubishi 3000 | 10.2% | 30.2% | 22,804 |
| 28 | Mazda Mx-6 | 10.1% | 35.5% | 28,824 |
| 29 | Vauxhall Midi | 10.1% | 35.5% | 18,680 |
| 30 | Rover 111 | 10.0% | 37.2% | 148,737 |
| 31 | Rover 114 | 10.0% | 36.2% | 112,452 |
| 32 | Rover 420 | 9.9% | 37.3% | 369,481 |
| 33 | Renault R19 | 9.9% | 38.0% | 106,032 |
| 34 | Citroen Ax | 9.8% | 37.6% | 350,257 |
| 35 | Rover 416 | 9.6% | 34.0% | 648,525 |
| 36 | Audi 80 | 9.4% | 36.7% | 247,732 |
| 37 | Rover 820 | 9.4% | 36.1% | 92,758 |
| 38 | Renault Safrane | 9.4% | 33.9% | 26,067 |
| 39 | Fiat Tempra | 9.4% | 39.5% | 14,920 |
| 40 | Peugeot 505 | 9.4% | 36.2% | 7,054 |
Why do so many of these fail on the exhaust and emissions?
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 the exhaust and emissions 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