MOT minor defect · manual section 3.4

Windscreen wiper blade defective

What this MOT minor defect means, how often testers record it and what garages charge per hour. From 130,233,413 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

As a minor defect, per 100 MOTs (n=130,233,413)1.15

Most often at21 years

Times recorded1,491,497

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 minor defect: the car passes its MOT and the defect is recorded. A minor defect has no significant effect on safety or the environment. The car passes its MOT and the defect is recorded on the certificate. It should be repaired as soon as possible.

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 it (section 3.4) as:

Wiper blade defective

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
Minor defect	Wipers	blade defective (3.4)	1,491,497

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 21 years: 1.62 per 100 MOTs (n=1,321,417 tests at that age).

Per 100 MOT tests of cars at each age, all makes. We show no figure below 20 tests.
Age	Minor defect per 100	Tests (n)
3 years	1.15	8,016,463
4 years	1.32	8,699,937
5 years	1.20	9,425,360
6 years	1.06	10,382,720
7 years	1.00	10,537,318
8 years	0.98	10,440,457
9 years	0.98	9,949,012
10 years	0.99	9,049,507
11 years	1.02	8,087,514
12 years	1.06	7,303,151
13 years	1.12	6,612,160
14 years	1.18	6,054,526
15 years	1.24	5,591,675
16 years	1.30	4,858,625
17 years	1.39	4,040,458
18 years	1.47	3,261,622
19 years	1.55	2,479,858
20 years	1.61	1,845,952
21 years	1.62	1,321,417
22 years	1.60	913,980
23 years	1.55	619,531
24 years	1.49	428,815
25 years	1.34	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 minor defect, 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
Kia EV6	3.00	1.05	2.8	5,165	3
BMW iX	2.77	1.05	2.6	5,627	3
Renault Arkana	3.29	1.28	2.5	9,867	3 to 4
Citroen C4 CactusCitroen C4 Cactus windscreen and wiper problems	2.50	1.11	2.2	82,843	3 to 9
Nissan JukeNissan Juke windscreen and wiper problems	2.17	1.07	2.0	1,225,209	3 to 15
Mitsubishi ColtMitsubishi Colt windscreen and wiper problems	2.70	1.34	2.0	93,891	10 to 20
Toyota Proace City	2.72	1.36	2.0	5,328	3 to 4
Nissan PixoNissan Pixo windscreen and wiper problems	2.47	1.24	1.9	46,726	10 to 16
Peugeot RifterPeugeot Rifter windscreen and wiper problems	2.40	1.22	1.9	27,746	3 to 6
Toyota PreviaToyota Previa windscreen and wiper problems	3.07	1.56	1.9	14,722	17 to 23
Suzuki CelerioSuzuki Celerio windscreen and wiper problems	2.16	1.11	1.9	110,627	3 to 10
Mitsubishi MirageMitsubishi Mirage windscreen and wiper problems	2.12	1.11	1.9	44,082	3 to 12
Nissan NV200Nissan NV200 windscreen and wiper problems	1.94	1.04	1.8	122,396	3 to 15
Suzuki AltoSuzuki Alto windscreen and wiper problems	2.16	1.18	1.8	196,008	7 to 21
Chevrolet SparkChevrolet Spark windscreen and wiper problems	2.13	1.17	1.8	59,796	9 to 15
Vauxhall VivaVauxhall Viva windscreen and wiper problems	2.02	1.11	1.8	154,054	3 to 10
Chevrolet CruzeChevrolet Cruze windscreen and wiper problems	1.96	1.10	1.7	19,837	9 to 14
Ford Transit CustomFord Transit Custom windscreen and wiper problems	2.16	1.22	1.7	499,881	3 to 7
Toyota ProaceToyota Proace windscreen and wiper problems	1.91	1.09	1.7	41,151	3 to 10
Chevrolet OrlandoChevrolet Orlando windscreen and wiper problems	1.79	1.03	1.7	16,212	9 to 14

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

We do not map this defect to one repair job, because the fix depends on the cause. Garages charge by the hour, so ask for a quote that lists labour time and parts.

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.

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 washer not working0.76 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

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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