Bristol MOT pass rate
Cars tested in Bristol, age-adjusted, passes 73.8% of the time, noticeably below the figure for the national average (79.2%).
73.3%
Raw pass rate
73.8%
Age-adjusted pass rate
-5.5 pts
vs national average
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“Cars tested in Bristol, age-adjusted, passes 73.8% of the time, noticeably below the figure for the national average (79.2%).”
73.3% of 910,394 MOT tests carried out in Bristol pass — the age-adjusted figure is 73.8%.
Pass rate by vehicle age in Bristol
| Vehicle age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 years | 90.7% | 45,126 |
| 3–6 years | 87.6% | 181,675 |
| 6–10 years | 79.2% | 261,042 |
| 10–15 years | 65.9% | 234,750 |
| 15+ years | 56.4% | 187,801 |
Most common MOT failure reasons in Bristol
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 56.4% |
| Suspension | 39.9% |
| Brakes | 28.1% |
| Tyres | 24.3% |
| Visibility | 18.1% |
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 Bristol (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 Bristol?
- 73.3% of MOT tests carried out in Bristol pass, based on 910,394 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 73.8%.
- Does this show cars registered in Bristol, 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 Bristol — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
- What's the most common MOT failure reason in Bristol?
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Bristol, present in 56.4% of failed tests there.