MOT fail rates by first-use year

2011 London Taxis International TX4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How London Taxis International TX4 cars first used in 2011 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 3,571 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 12 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 12 (n=1,411)38.9%

All cars at 12 years (n=7,303,151)36.0%

Difference+2.9 pts

MOT tests of 2011 cars, 2022 to 20233,571

What stands out

In 2023, at 12 years old, London Taxis International TX4 cars first used in 2011 failed 38.9% of MOTs (1,411 tests), 2.9 points above the 36.0% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 11 to 12 years old, the fail rate moved from 40.5% to 38.9%.
London Taxis International TX4 cars first used a year earlier, in 2010, failed 38.4% at the same age of 12 years (1,986 tests, in 2022).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the London Taxis International TX4 at 12 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 6.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.8).

MOT fail rate by test year

London Taxis International TX4 cars first used in 2011: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	11 years	40.5%	2,160	33.3%	+7.2 pts
2023	12 years	38.9%	1,411	36.0%	+2.9 pts

Most common faults at 12 years

These figures cover all London Taxis International TX4 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,858). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Suspension arm bush worn	6.4	1.8
Handbrake too weak	4.6	1.5
Suspension ball joint worn	4.2	2.4
Side/position light not working Wear	3.8	4.1
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	3.2	1.9
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.8	2.9
Coil spring broken	2.8	3.9
Dipped headlight not working Wear	2.3	2.1
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault	2.0	0.7
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	1.9	1.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,858). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	14.2	6.0
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	8.8	18.0
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	7.3	7.3
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	5.2	4.5
Wheel bearings: has slight play	4.5	0.5
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	3.2	4.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	3.1	10.4
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	2.8	7.6
Coil spring: corroded	2.8	4.7
Suspension ball joint: slight play	2.6	1.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,858). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 12 years

These figures cover all London Taxis International TX4 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,858). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	96.5%	36.6%	4,673	36.9%	254,378 miles

Car tax rules for a 2011 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2011 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the London Taxis International TX4

2010 London Taxis International TX4 2012 London Taxis International TX4

More on the London Taxis International TX4

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.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2011 London Taxis International TX4 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

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 28 September 2026.

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

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.