Worst cars for tyres MOT failures
These models fail their MOT on tyres more than any other, ranked by the share of their tests that fail this specific area.
Which cars fail their MOT most on tyres?
This ranks models by the share of their MOT tests that fail on tyres, not by their overall failure rate. The Ford Courier tops the list, failing this area on 9.9% of its tests. Only models with at least 5,000 tests and 500 recorded failures in this area are included.
| # | Model | Fails on tyre | Overall failure rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Courier | 9.9% | 38.6% | 32,454 |
| 2 | Renault 21 | 9.8% | 40.3% | 5,102 |
| 3 | Mitsubishi Chariot | 9.2% | 34.5% | 6,290 |
| 4 | Rover 115 | 9.1% | 41.9% | 16,962 |
| 5 | Fiat Multipla | 9.0% | 36.4% | 253,585 |
| 6 | Alfa Romeo 146 | 9.0% | 39.5% | 35,546 |
| 7 | Renault 19 | 8.9% | 39.9% | 29,410 |
| 8 | Rover 418 | 8.7% | 35.9% | 44,826 |
| 9 | Ford Escort | 8.6% | 36.9% | 5,012,539 |
| 10 | Renault Extra | 8.6% | 37.7% | 48,038 |
| 11 | Rover 420 | 8.5% | 37.3% | 369,481 |
| 12 | Daewoo Nubira | 8.5% | 35.6% | 130,543 |
| 13 | BMW 640 Series | 8.5% | 15.5% | 113,975 |
| 14 | Vauxhall Calibra | 8.5% | 36.8% | 113,098 |
| 15 | Alfa Romeo 156 | 8.4% | 33.9% | 487,729 |
| 16 | Alfa Romeo 166 | 8.3% | 35.3% | 30,664 |
| 17 | Nissan E-Nv200 | 8.3% | 20.6% | 30,132 |
| 18 | Renault 5 | 8.3% | 38.0% | 22,719 |
| 19 | Nissan Prairie | 8.3% | 37.9% | 19,086 |
| 20 | Fiat Stilo | 8.1% | 33.6% | 569,829 |
| 21 | Rover 218 | 8.1% | 35.5% | 106,687 |
| 22 | Nissan Largo | 8.1% | 34.0% | 13,542 |
| 23 | Vauxhall Omega | 8.0% | 30.9% | 680,865 |
| 24 | Mercedes-Benz Cls | 8.0% | 20.2% | 422,187 |
| 25 | Nissan Sunny | 8.0% | 37.5% | 362,664 |
| 26 | Rover 220 | 8.0% | 37.5% | 258,082 |
| 27 | Alfa Romeo 145 | 8.0% | 38.9% | 29,033 |
| 28 | Vauxhall Astramax | 8.0% | 41.1% | 6,925 |
| 29 | Rover 216i | 7.8% | 34.3% | 62,181 |
| 30 | Fiat Brava | 7.7% | 36.2% | 438,528 |
| 31 | Rover 620 | 7.7% | 37.0% | 377,670 |
| 32 | Alfa Romeo Gt | 7.7% | 31.3% | 118,943 |
| 33 | Alfa Romeo 147 | 7.6% | 31.1% | 412,109 |
| 34 | Alfa Romeo 159 | 7.6% | 28.8% | 148,227 |
| 35 | SEAT Inca | 7.6% | 36.1% | 82,386 |
| 36 | Volkswagen E-Golf | 7.6% | 12.0% | 32,504 |
| 37 | Vauxhall Sintra | 7.6% | 39.0% | 31,615 |
| 38 | Vauxhall Combo | 7.5% | 31.9% | 3,346,817 |
| 39 | Rover 618 | 7.5% | 35.4% | 114,575 |
| 40 | Renault R19 | 7.5% | 38.0% | 106,032 |
Why do so many of these fail on tyres?
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 tyres 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