Dorchester MOT pass rate
Cars tested in Dorchester, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 78.5% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.
74.1%
Raw pass rate
78.5%
Age-adjusted pass rate
-0.8 pts
vs national average
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“Cars tested in Dorchester, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 78.5% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.”
74.1% of 223,854 MOT tests carried out in Dorchester pass — the age-adjusted figure is 78.5%.
Pass rate by vehicle age in Dorchester
| Vehicle age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 years | 93.5% | 5,123 |
| 3–6 years | 91.2% | 26,550 |
| 6–10 years | 84.0% | 54,367 |
| 10–15 years | 71.7% | 65,422 |
| 15+ years | 61.1% | 72,392 |
Most common MOT failure reasons in Dorchester
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 50.1% |
| Suspension | 38.0% |
| Brakes | 30.4% |
| Tyres | 20.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.3% |
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 Dorchester (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 Dorchester?
- 74.1% of MOT tests carried out in Dorchester pass, based on 223,854 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 78.5%.
- Does this show cars registered in Dorchester, 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 Dorchester — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
- What's the most common MOT failure reason in Dorchester?
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Dorchester, present in 50.1% of failed tests there.