MOT fail · manual section 3.5

Windscreen washer not working

What this MOT fail means, how often testers record it and what the usual repair costs. From 130,233,413 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

As a fail, per 100 MOTs (n=130,233,413)0.76

Most often at20 years

Times recorded984,422

Times recorded adds every DVSA code with this wording, so a test can record it more than once, for example on two wheels under separate codes.

What it means

This is a major defect: the car fails its MOT. A major defect may affect the car’s safety, put other road users at risk or harm the environment. The car fails its MOT and the defect must be repaired.

The windscreen, wipers, washers and mirrors are checked so the driver has a clear view. Damage in the area the wipers sweep matters most.

The MOT inspection manual describes the defect (section 3.5) as:

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

Read this section of the MOT inspection manual on GOV.UK

The DVSA codes counted on this page: the manual item and the defect text as DVSA records them. The heading above joins the two, as a certificate does; the tester also adds the position, such as nearside front.
Result	Manual item	DVSA defect text	Records
Fail Major	Washers	not working (3.5)	984,422

Got an MOT advisory or defect on a certificate? Paste it into the MOT advisory checker to see what it means.

How common it is by age

Testers record it most at 20 years: 1.36 per 100 MOTs (n=1,845,952 tests at that age).

Per 100 MOT tests of cars at each age, all makes. We show no figure below 20 tests.
Age	Fail per 100	Tests (n)
3 years	0.26	8,016,463
4 years	0.31	8,699,937
5 years	0.38	9,425,360
6 years	0.43	10,382,720
7 years	0.51	10,537,318
8 years	0.60	10,440,457
9 years	0.69	9,949,012
10 years	0.78	9,049,507
11 years	0.88	8,087,514
12 years	0.93	7,303,151
13 years	1.02	6,612,160
14 years	1.13	6,054,526
15 years	1.19	5,591,675
16 years	1.24	4,858,625
17 years	1.25	4,040,458
18 years	1.28	3,261,622
19 years	1.33	2,479,858
20 years	1.36	1,845,952
21 years	1.36	1,321,417
22 years	1.36	913,980
23 years	1.33	619,531
24 years	1.31	428,815
25 years	1.30	313,355

Models that get it most

Each model generation is compared with cars of the same ages and fuel, so older and diesel models are not penalised for their age or fuel. Generations are never pooled.

Model generations with the highest rate as a fail, against cars of the same ages and fuel. A model’s figure counts this defect only at ages where it is among that model’s 25 most recorded items, and as zero elsewhere, so it is a floor. Tests (n) are all the generation’s MOT tests at ages with at least 1,000 tests each; at least 5,000 in total.
Model	Per 100 MOTs, at least	Same ages and fuel	Times as often	Tests (n)	Ages
MG HSMG HS windscreen and wiper problems	0.85	0.27	3.2	45,337	3 to 5
SsangYong TivoliSsangYong Tivoli windscreen and wiper problems	1.50	0.48	3.1	27,007	3 to 9
Fiat BravoFiat Bravo windscreen and wiper problems	3.49	1.14	3.0	20,980	12 to 17
Ford Transit CourierFord Transit Courier washer system repair Ford Transit Courier windscreen and wiper problems	1.30	0.46	2.8	103,155	3 to 11
Citroen C3 PicassoCitroen C3 Picasso windscreen and wiper problems	1.44	0.53	2.7	22,583	5 to 9
DS DS3DS DS3 washer system repair DS DS3 windscreen and wiper problems	2.00	0.74	2.6	425,461	3 to 15
Dacia SanderoDacia Sandero washer system repair Dacia Sandero windscreen and wiper problems	1.38	0.53	2.5	415,804	3 to 12
Mitsubishi Shogun SportMitsubishi Shogun Sport windscreen and wiper problems	3.33	1.34	2.4	18,439	16 to 21
Ford Transit CustomFord Transit Custom washer system repair Ford Transit Custom windscreen and wiper problems	0.89	0.36	2.4	499,881	3 to 7
Dacia LoganDacia Logan washer system repair Dacia Logan windscreen and wiper problems	1.27	0.54	2.3	61,822	3 to 11
Volkswagen FoxVolkswagen Fox washer system repair Volkswagen Fox windscreen and wiper problems	2.55	1.12	2.2	108,524	11 to 19
Peugeot 207Peugeot 207 washer system repair Peugeot 207 windscreen and wiper problems	2.42	1.09	2.2	587,825	8 to 19
Citroen DispatchCitroen Dispatch washer system repair Citroen Dispatch windscreen and wiper problems	1.59	0.73	2.1	189,276	3 to 21
Renault KangooRenault Kangoo washer system repair Renault Kangoo windscreen and wiper problems	1.98	0.91	2.1	229,058	3 to 23
Peugeot 5008Peugeot 5008 washer system repair Peugeot 5008 windscreen and wiper problems	1.23	0.56	2.1	130,903	3 to 15
Peugeot PartnerPeugeot Partner washer system repair Peugeot Partner windscreen and wiper problems	1.50	0.70	2.1	605,323	3 to 23
Citroen SaxoCitroen Saxo windscreen and wiper problems	2.74	1.31	2.0	14,904	19 to 24
Citroen C3Citroen C3 washer system repair Citroen C3 windscreen and wiper problems	1.66	0.80	2.0	784,141	3 to 22
Citroen BerlingoCitroen Berlingo washer system repair Citroen Berlingo windscreen and wiper problems	1.58	0.77	2.0	750,010	3 to 24
SEAT IbizaSEAT Ibiza washer system repair SEAT Ibiza windscreen and wiper problems	1.49	0.74	2.0	775,282	3 to 22

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.

Repair and cost

The usual repair is washer system repair.

No public source records the price of this whole job, and the time it takes varies from car to car, so we do not publish a single figure. Garages charge by the hour, so ask for a quote that lists labour time and parts. The rates below are what UK garages charge per hour.

Local garage labour, per hour (65 shops)£78

Local garage, middle half£70 to £96

Main dealer labour, per hour (62 shops)£156

Main dealer, middle half£144 to £174

Median hourly rate charged for car repairs, from 1,058 local garage and 953 main dealer price quotes collected by the ONS, September 2025 to August 2026. The same shops are priced each month, so the number of shops is the real sample.

Washer system repair: cost and the models that need it more often

Related MOT defects

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view2.42 per 100
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively2.13 per 100
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid1.42 per 100
Windscreen wiper blade defective1.15 per 100
Mirror slightly damaged0.37 per 100
Windscreen washer jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen0.12 per 100
Mirror slightly loose0.11 per 100
Items removed from driver's view prior to test0.082 per 100
Driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen significantly affected by an obstruction0.078 per 100
Mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view0.065 per 100

All visibility defects All MOT defects Car repair costs

Buying a used car?

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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, and the MOT inspection manual published on GOV.UK. Prices: ONS consumer price inflation price quotes, September 2025 to August 2026, UK.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026. Prices updated 22 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA or the Office for National Statistics. How we calculate these figures · Data sources