Used car rankings from MOT data
Most reliable 5 year old small cars by MOT fail rate
We ranked 40 small cars by the share of MOT tests they failed at 5 years old, against 14.3% for all cars that age. From 2,213,205 DVSA MOT tests in Great Britain, 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
First in this list (n=65,874)8.9%
All cars, same age14.3%
Ranked40
MOT tests used2,213,205
First in this list: Honda Jazz.
How this ranking works
- Data: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal tests in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), 2022 to 2025. Northern Ireland tests its cars separately and is not included. A fail is a test marked fail or passed after a repair at the test station.
- Measure: share of MOTs failed by cars 5 years old (test year minus first-use year).
- Comparison: all cars means every class 4 MOT test except vans, pickups, taxis, campers, van-based people carriers, motorhome and minibus bases and used imports, weighted to each row's own mix of ages.
- Thresholds: every age behind a row here has at least 5,000 tests. A model generation is ranked only with at least 3 ages of 1,000 tests or more. A list is published only with at least 15 ranked rows.
- Segments: from our checked list that puts each DVSA model family in one segment; this list covers city cars and superminis. Families that change body type between generations without a split in the data are left out.
- Vans, pickups, taxis, campers, van-based people carriers, motorhome and minibus bases, and models sold here mainly as used imports are left out of car lists.
- Years in brackets are the first-use years of a model generation.
The ranking
| # | Model | MOT fail rate | All cars, same age | Tests (n) | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda JazzCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 8.9% | 14.3% | 65,874 | 21,800 miles |
| 2 | BMW i3Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 10.8% | 14.3% | 14,457 | 30,300 miles |
| 3 | Mazda 2Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 11.7% | 14.3% | 28,486 | 26,500 miles |
| 4 | Ford KaCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 12.4% | 14.3% | 34,397 | 23,900 miles |
| 5 | Volkswagen up!Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 12.5% | 14.3% | 37,978 | 23,500 miles |
| 6 | Toyota AygoCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 12.8% | 14.3% | 82,673 | 24,600 miles |
| 7 | Nissan NoteCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 12.8% | 14.3% | 5,265 | 27,400 miles |
| 8 | Hyundai i20Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.0% | 14.3% | 32,247 | 30,200 miles |
| 9 | MINI Cooper and OneCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.0% | 14.3% | 180,075 | 28,900 miles |
| 10 | Toyota YarisCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.1% | 14.3% | 104,047 | 26,400 miles |
| 11 | Suzuki CelerioCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.2% | 14.3% | 12,602 | 22,200 miles |
| 12 | Vauxhall VivaCommon problems · ULEZ | 13.3% | 14.3% | 19,411 | 22,800 miles |
| 13 | Audi A1Common problems · ULEZ | 13.4% | 14.3% | 77,150 | 32,700 miles |
| 14 | Suzuki SwiftCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.7% | 14.3% | 37,485 | 29,400 miles |
| 15 | Skoda CitigoCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.8% | 14.3% | 16,585 | 24,400 miles |
| 16 | Peugeot 108Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 13.8% | 14.3% | 30,451 | 23,000 miles |
| 17 | Smart FortwoCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 14.0% | 14.3% | 10,711 | 20,600 miles |
| 18 | Suzuki Ignis (from 2016)Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 14.2% | 14.3% | 19,706 | 23,900 miles |
| 19 | Citroen C1Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 14.3% | 14.3% | 25,490 | 23,700 miles |
| 20 | Kia PicantoCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 14.9% | 14.3% | 56,338 | 22,800 miles |
What stands out
- Honda Jazz has the lowest MOT fail rate in this list: 8.9% (n=65,874), against 14.3% for all cars that age.
- 19 of the 40 ranked small cars fail less often than all cars at the same age.
- In the 20 shown, the fail rate runs from 8.9% to 14.9%.
- One other row is within 2 points of the first, so read close positions as level rather than as a strict order.
Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.
More rankings
All used car rankings · MOT fail rates by make and model · Common problems by model · Recalls by model · ULEZ by model
Looking at one car?
A ranking describes model generations, not the car in front of you. The VetTheCar Buying Report reads one car's MOT history, mileage and recalls and sets them against cars like it.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 22 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources