Used car rankings from MOT data
Most reliable superminis against cars the same age
We ranked 29 superminis by how often they failed their MOT at 3 to 15 years old, each against all cars at the same ages. From 24,196,169 DVSA MOT tests in Great Britain, 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
First in this list (n=995,487)18.7%
All cars, same ages27.6%
Difference32% lower
MOT tests used24,196,169
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 at each age from 3 to 15 years, pooled, against all cars at the same ages.
- Order: by the fail rate divided by the rate for all cars at the same ages, shown as the difference in per cent. Fail rates rise with age, so a ratio keeps a model seen only at older ages from looking better than it is.
- 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, and a row needs at least 3 ages in this list. A list is published only with at least 10 ranked rows.
- Typical mileage: the median odometer reading at each age, averaged over the row's ages by number of tests.
- Segments: from our checked list that puts each DVSA model family in one segment; this list covers 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 ages | Difference | Ages | Tests (n) | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honda JazzCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 18.7% | 27.6% | 32% lower | 3 to 15 | 995,487 | 46,600 miles |
| 2 | BMW i3Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 12.1% | 16.1% | 25% lower | 3 to 9 | 81,239 | 33,600 miles |
| 3 | MINI Cooper and OneCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 20.2% | 25.0% | 19% lower | 3 to 15 | 2,082,861 | 52,100 miles |
| 4 | Toyota YarisCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 22.2% | 25.6% | 13% lower | 3 to 15 | 1,337,976 | 49,000 miles |
| 5 | Ford FusionCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 36.8% | 39.5% | 7% lower | 12 to 15 | 86,264 | 72,800 miles |
| 6 | Audi A1Common problems · ULEZ | 21.9% | 23.2% | 6% lower | 3 to 14 | 864,536 | 54,800 miles |
| 7 | Skoda FabiaCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 25.0% | 25.9% | 4% lower | 3 to 15 | 769,054 | 56,700 miles |
| 8 | Suzuki SwiftCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 24.9% | 25.4% | 2% lower | 3 to 15 | 466,503 | 52,900 miles |
| 9 | Hyundai i20Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 26.3% | 26.2% | about the same | 3 to 15 | 503,084 | 53,100 miles |
| 10 | Nissan NoteCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 32.2% | 31.7% | 1% higher | 5 to 15 | 505,969 | 65,000 miles |
| 11 | Mazda 2Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 28.3% | 27.9% | 2% higher | 3 to 15 | 460,112 | 55,600 miles |
| 12 | Nissan MicraCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 29.4% | 28.2% | 4% higher | 3 to 15 | 615,324 | 46,400 miles |
| 13 | Kia RioCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 28.9% | 26.6% | 9% higher | 3 to 15 | 375,347 | 57,700 miles |
| 14 | Mitsubishi ColtCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 43.1% | 39.3% | 10% higher | 12 to 15 | 45,305 | 75,300 miles |
| 15 | Volkswagen PoloCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 28.4% | 25.8% | 10% higher | 3 to 15 | 2,042,195 | 56,300 miles |
| 16 | Alfa Romeo MiToCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 38.7% | 34.2% | 13% higher | 8 to 15 | 67,810 | 76,200 miles |
| 17 | Ford FiestaCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 31.5% | 27.0% | 17% higher | 3 to 15 | 4,794,023 | 59,600 miles |
| 18 | Peugeot 208Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 27.4% | 22.8% | 20% higher | 3 to 13 | 809,087 | 49,400 miles |
| 19 | Citroen C3Common problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 32.5% | 26.7% | 22% higher | 3 to 15 | 677,231 | 56,200 miles |
| 20 | Fiat PuntoCommon problems · Recalls · ULEZ | 43.0% | 35.3% | 22% higher | 7 to 15 | 196,785 | 75,100 miles |
What stands out
- Honda Jazz comes first: 18.7% against 27.6% for all cars at the same ages, 32% lower (n=995,487).
- 8 of the 29 ranked superminis fail less often than all cars at the same ages.
- In the 20 shown, the difference from all cars runs from 32% lower to 22% higher.
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