Bolton MOT pass rate
Cars tested in Bolton, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 79.1% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.
80.6%
Raw pass rate
79.1%
Age-adjusted pass rate
-0.2 pts
vs national average
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“Cars tested in Bolton, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 79.1% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.”
80.6% of 432,383 MOT tests carried out in Bolton pass — the age-adjusted figure is 79.1%.
Pass rate by vehicle age in Bolton
| Vehicle age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 years | 93.1% | 27,496 |
| 3–6 years | 91.0% | 106,368 |
| 6–10 years | 82.8% | 137,993 |
| 10–15 years | 71.7% | 101,728 |
| 15+ years | 66.3% | 58,798 |
Most common MOT failure reasons in Bolton
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 45.7% |
| Suspension | 38.4% |
| Brakes | 33.2% |
| Tyres | 25.8% |
| Visibility | 14.8% |
Methodology and data source
- Source: DVSA “Anonymised MOT tests and results”, data.gov.uk, under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Coverage: Full year 2024, test class 4 (cars), normal (initial) tests only.
- This covers cars tested in Bolton (DVSA's postcode_area field is the testing station's location, not the vehicle owner's home address).
- The age-adjusted figure is standardised to the national vehicle-age mix, so it isn't just reflecting whether this area's tested fleet happens to run older or newer than average.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Bolton?
- 80.6% of MOT tests carried out in Bolton pass, based on 432,383 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 79.1%.
- Does this show cars registered in Bolton, or tested there?
- Tested there. DVSA's data records the postcode of the testing station, not the vehicle owner's home address, so this reflects cars tested in Bolton — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
- What's the most common MOT failure reason in Bolton?
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Bolton, present in 45.7% of failed tests there.