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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2017 London Taxis International TX4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How London Taxis International TX4 cars first used in 2017 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 4,197 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 8 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 8 (n=1,016)27.5%
All cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457)23.8%
Difference+3.7 pts
MOT tests of 2017 cars, 2022 to 20254,197

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 8 years old, London Taxis International TX4 cars first used in 2017 failed 27.5% of MOTs (1,016 tests), 3.7 points above the 23.8% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 5 to 8 years old, the fail rate moved from 32.2% to 27.5%.
  • London Taxis International TX4 cars first used a year earlier, in 2016, failed 33.3% at the same age of 8 years (1,599 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the London Taxis International TX4 at 8 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 6.2 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

London Taxis International TX4 cars first used in 2017: 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 yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20225 years32.2%1,07215.3%+16.9 pts
20236 years32.2%1,07017.8%+14.4 pts
20247 years31.3%1,03920.6%+10.6 pts
20258 years27.5%1,01623.8%+3.7 pts

Most common faults at 8 years

These figures cover all London Taxis International TX4 MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=7,039). 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 itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Suspension arm bush worn6.20.9
Side/position light not working Wear3.61.2
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault3.40.6
Coil spring broken2.92.1
Handbrake too weak2.90.5
Suspension ball joint worn2.81.0
Dipped headlight not working Wear2.51.2
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.52.3
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear2.11.1
Brake light not working Wear2.01.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=7,039). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement9.74.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive9.61.8
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear8.515.7
Steering box: has seepage3.90.0
Coil spring: corroded3.81.2
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened3.58.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear3.48.6
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material3.41.4
Suspension ball joint: slight play3.40.9
Shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush3.40.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=7,039). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 8 years

These figures cover all London Taxis International TX4 MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=7,039). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel100.0%35.0%7,01225.1%164,736 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 8 years

These figures cover all London Taxis International TX4 MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=7,039). At 8 years, London Taxis International TX4 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (36.4%, n=4,463) than those at 120,000 to 150,000 miles (33.5%, n=1,485). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
120,000 to 150,000 miles33.5%1,48531.7%
Over 150,000 miles36.4%4,46331.3%

Car tax rules for a 2017 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.
  • Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.
  • A car first used in 2017 can fall under either rule, so the registration date on the logbook decides.

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

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Diesel cars first registered from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • 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

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 2017 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.