What is the MOT pass rate in Darlington?

78.1% of MOT tests carried out in Darlington pass, based on 279,407 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 77.1%.

Does this show cars registered in Darlington, 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 Darlington — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.

What's the most common MOT failure reason in Darlington?

Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Darlington, present in 52.6% of failed tests there.

Darlington MOT pass rate

At 77.1%, Cars tested in Darlington, age-adjusted, passes slightly less often than the national average (79.2%).

78.1%

Raw pass rate

77.1%

Age-adjusted pass rate

-2.1 pts

vs national average

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“At 77.1%, Cars tested in Darlington, age-adjusted, passes slightly less often than the national average (79.2%).”

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78.1% of 279,407 MOT tests carried out in Darlington pass — the age-adjusted figure is 77.1%.

Pass rate by vehicle age in Darlington

MOT pass rate by vehicle age band, cars tested in Darlington
Vehicle age	Pass rate	Tests
0–3 years	93.7%	13,811
3–6 years	90.7%	60,683
6–10 years	80.1%	96,396
10–15 years	68.3%	70,498
15+ years	65.2%	38,019

Most common MOT failure reasons in Darlington

Top MOT failure categories, cars tested in Darlington
Category	Share of failed tests
Brakes	52.6%
Suspension	49.9%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	48.9%
Tyres	24.8%
Body, chassis, structure	17.7%

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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 Darlington (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.

Full methodology, filters, and sample thresholds →

Own a car in Darlington?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MOT pass rate in Darlington?: 78.1% of MOT tests carried out in Darlington pass, based on 279,407 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 77.1%.
Does this show cars registered in Darlington, 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 Darlington — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
What's the most common MOT failure reason in Darlington?: Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Darlington, present in 52.6% of failed tests there.