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MOT pass rates

MOT pass rate in Galashiels (TD)

In 2025, 71.0% of MOT tests in the Galashiels (TD) postcode area were passed first time, 1.3 points below the Great Britain rate of 72.3%. From 62,636 DVSA MOT tests of cars and light vans aged 3 to 25 years. The TD area takes in post towns including Hawick, Kelso and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

MOT data updated

Pass rate, TD (n=62,636)71.0%
Great Britain (n=32,619,595)72.3%
Difference−1.3 pts
Position, highest pass rate first73rdof 118 areas

Adjusted for vehicle age, the pass rate is 69.3% (90th of 118 areas), against 72.3% for Great Britain. Cars tested here are on average 0.8 years younger than the GB average (9.6 against 10.4 years).

Pass rate by age

Galashiels (TD) against Great Britain, 2025. Age bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
AgeTD pass rateTests (n)Great BritainDifference
3 to 5 years87.5%11,26387.2%+0.3 pts
6 to 8 years78.8%16,74980.9%−2.1 pts
9 to 11 years67.9%16,17771.9%−4.0 pts
12 to 14 years58.9%9,40763.7%−4.8 pts
15 to 25 years54.4%9,04058.2%−3.8 pts

What cars fail on

Tests with at least one dangerous or major defect in each part of the car, per 100 MOT tests. One test can count under several parts.

Fail reasons per 100 tests, TD (n=62,636) against Great Britain, 2025.
Part of the carTDTests with itGreat Britain
Suspension11.67,2519.0
Lights and electrics9.45,89710.6
Brakes9.15,6816.2
Tyres5.43,4126.3
Body and structure4.42,7613.2
Visibility3.52,1974.3
Emissions and leaks3.52,1913.1
Steering2.51,5571.9
Seat belts and airbags0.85200.9
Number plates and VIN0.31670.3
Road wheels0.21180.4

Most tested models

Models with at least 1,000 MOT tests in TD in 2025. Pass rates are not adjusted for age or mileage.
ModelTests (n)SharePass rateMore
Ford Fiesta2,5774.1%65.8%ProblemsRecallsULEZ
Vauxhall Corsa2,3023.7%65.1%ProblemsRecallsULEZ
Volkswagen Golf1,7882.9%76.4%ProblemsRecallsULEZ
Ford Focus1,4882.4%71.8%ProblemsRecallsULEZ
Vauxhall Astra1,2272.0%66.7%ProblemsRecallsULEZ
Volkswagen Polo1,1171.8%67.9%ProblemsRecallsULEZ
Read this with care. An area pass rate reflects the cars tested there: their age, mileage and upkeep, the share of vans and work vehicles, and local roads and weather. It is not a measure of the test centres. Methodology.

Other areas

Near Galashiels in the ranking:

Other areas in Scotland:

Every postcode area · Methodology · Number plate area codes

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

An area figure says nothing about one car. Its MOT history does: every test, defect, advisory and mileage reading. The VetTheCar Buying Report puts it together with running costs before you pay.

See a sample Buying Report MOT fail rates by model

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal tests, 2025. MOT data updated 17 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources