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MOT defects

Other equipment: 30 MOT defect wordings

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 130,233,413 MOT tests · Updated

30 other equipment defect wordings were recorded 2,668,527 times in 130,233,413 MOT tests from 2022 to 2025 [1].

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All other equipment wordings

Every wording in this section, most recorded first. Per 100 MOT tests at all ages.
WordingRecorded asPer 100 MOT tests
Airbag (SRS) warning lamp indicates a faultfail0.47
Horn not workingfail0.29
Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayedadvisory0.24
Electronic stability control warning lamp indicates a faultfail0.19
Seat belt prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reducedfail0.18
Seat belt buckle not functioning as intendedfail0.11
Seat belt prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessiveadvisory0.096
Seat belt buckle slightly damagedadvisory0.094
Seat belt not functioning as intendedfail0.083
Seat belt slightly damagedadvisory0.072
Airbag (SRS) warning lamp does not illuminateadvisory0.039
Seat belt retracting mechanism defectivefail0.037
Seat belt buckle missingfail0.028
Seat belt webbing significantly weakenedfail0.022
Seat belt missingfail0.017
Seat belt damagedfail0.016
Seat belt flexible stalk damagedadvisory0.016
Seat belt buckle damagedfail0.012
Driver's airbag obviously inoperativefail0.010
Seat belt anchorage loosefail0.006
Seat belt prescribed area is inadequately repairedfail0.004
Seat belt likely to become detached in the event of a collisionfail0.003
Electronic stability control warning lamp not workingadvisory0.003
Speedometer clearly inoperativefail0.002
Passenger's airbag obviously inoperativefail0.002
Driver's airbag missingfail0.002
Seat belt has cut and/or reworked original webbingfail0.001
Seat belt anchorage insecurefail0.001
Speedometer cannot be illuminatedfail0.001
Pre-tensioner pretensioner deployedfailunder 0.001

Was it on the record of the car you are looking at?

These figures are for every car tested. One car's MOT history, by registration, lists each advisory and fail item its testers recorded, and when.

Other sections

Questions people ask

Which other equipment defect do testers record most?

0.47 in 100 MOT tests record “Airbag (SRS) warning lamp indicates a fault”, the most recorded wording in this section (130,233,413 MOT tests).

How many other equipment wordings are fails?

23 of the 30 wordings here are fails (major or dangerous defects); the others are advisories and minor defects, which pass.

Which other equipment advisory most often turns into a fail?

12.4% of horn advisories were followed by a fail on it at the next MOT, against 0.6% for cars the same ages without one.

Buying Report £14.99 incl. VAT · one car · no subscription · Not a mechanical inspection.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 130,233,413 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Rates are per 100 MOT tests of class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) at each age. Model comparisons are against all class 4 vehicles of the same ages and fuel, pooled over 2022 to 2025 tests: they are not matched on test year or on mileage. Advisory figures count pairs of consecutive MOT tests of the same vehicle: "next MOT" means its next test 300 to 500 days (about 10 to 16 months) later, and the no-advisory comparison is standardised to the advised vehicles' age bands. Repairs between MOTs and breakdowns are not in this data. How we compare