Worst cars for lights MOT failures
These models fail their MOT on lights and electrics more than any other, ranked by the share of their tests that fail this specific area.
Which cars fail their MOT most on lights and electrics?
This ranks models by the share of their MOT tests that fail on lights and electrics, not by their overall failure rate. The Vauxhall Sintra tops the list, failing this area on 21.0% of its tests. Only models with at least 5,000 tests and 500 recorded failures in this area are included.
| # | Model | Fails on lighting | Overall failure rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauxhall Sintra | 21.0% | 39.0% | 31,615 |
| 2 | Vauxhall Astramax | 21.0% | 41.1% | 6,925 |
| 3 | Mercedes-Benz 312 | 20.8% | 35.6% | 26,314 |
| 4 | Aprilia Rx50 | 20.6% | 35.6% | 5,040 |
| 5 | Citroen C25 | 20.3% | 36.2% | 11,258 |
| 6 | Citroen C15 | 19.8% | 36.4% | 153,656 |
| 7 | Ford P100 | 19.0% | 34.4% | 33,779 |
| 8 | Mercedes-Benz 310 | 18.9% | 34.7% | 12,732 |
| 9 | Alfa Romeo 146 | 18.8% | 39.5% | 35,546 |
| 10 | Ldv Convoy | 18.7% | 35.8% | 527,681 |
| 11 | Vauxhall Brava | 18.7% | 35.2% | 90,423 |
| 12 | Vauxhall Rascal | 18.5% | 35.1% | 30,122 |
| 13 | Tata Loadbeta | 18.5% | 37.8% | 14,096 |
| 14 | Volkswagen Lt | 18.4% | 34.8% | 556,930 |
| 15 | Renault R4 | 18.4% | 32.8% | 5,634 |
| 16 | Ford Courier | 18.1% | 38.6% | 32,454 |
| 17 | Alfa Romeo 145 | 18.0% | 38.9% | 29,033 |
| 18 | Metrocab Manual | 18.0% | 36.5% | 6,790 |
| 19 | Vauxhall Midi | 17.8% | 35.5% | 18,680 |
| 20 | Citroen Ax | 17.7% | 37.6% | 350,257 |
| 21 | Suzuki Sj413 | 17.6% | 33.9% | 34,232 |
| 22 | Rover 115 | 17.3% | 41.9% | 16,962 |
| 23 | Peugeot 505 | 17.3% | 36.2% | 7,054 |
| 24 | Suzuki Sj410 | 17.2% | 32.3% | 16,287 |
| 25 | Vauxhall Arena | 17.2% | 36.8% | 16,144 |
| 26 | Peugeot 504 | 17.0% | 34.2% | 5,587 |
| 27 | Rover 420 | 16.9% | 37.3% | 369,481 |
| 28 | Volkswagen Kombi | 16.9% | 29.5% | 5,757 |
| 29 | Nissan Cabstar | 16.8% | 35.7% | 347,607 |
| 30 | Hyundai H100 | 16.8% | 34.7% | 39,553 |
| 31 | Volkswagen 1500 | 16.7% | 29.9% | 5,945 |
| 32 | Peugeot 205 | 16.6% | 36.0% | 594,229 |
| 33 | Rover 220 | 16.6% | 37.5% | 258,082 |
| 34 | Toyota Townace | 16.6% | 32.5% | 12,047 |
| 35 | Metrocab Auto | 16.6% | 34.1% | 9,080 |
| 36 | Fiat 126 | 16.6% | 30.3% | 7,999 |
| 37 | Nissan Largo | 16.5% | 34.0% | 13,542 |
| 38 | Renault 21 | 16.5% | 40.3% | 5,102 |
| 39 | Nissan Serena | 16.4% | 35.6% | 148,406 |
| 40 | Nissan Urvan | 16.4% | 34.7% | 7,334 |
Why do so many of these fail on lights and electrics?
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 lights and electrics 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