What is the MOT pass rate in Durham?

81.5% of MOT tests carried out in Durham pass, based on 286,154 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 81.0%.

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

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

Suspension is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Durham, present in 47.5% of failed tests there.

Durham MOT pass rate

Cars tested in Durham, age-adjusted, has a pass rate of 81.0%, a little higher than the national average (79.2%).

81.5%

Raw pass rate

81.0%

Age-adjusted pass rate

+1.8 pts

vs national average

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“Cars tested in Durham, age-adjusted, has a pass rate of 81.0%, a little higher than the national average (79.2%).”

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81.5% of 286,154 MOT tests carried out in Durham pass — the age-adjusted figure is 81.0%.

Pass rate by vehicle age in Durham

MOT pass rate by vehicle age band, cars tested in Durham
Vehicle age	Pass rate	Tests
0–3 years	93.4%	15,349
3–6 years	91.3%	61,161
6–10 years	82.7%	91,978
10–15 years	74.4%	75,983
15+ years	73.0%	41,683

Most common MOT failure reasons in Durham

Top MOT failure categories, cars tested in Durham
Category	Share of failed tests
Suspension	47.5%
Brakes	47.2%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	40.4%
Tyres	21.0%
Body, chassis, structure	15.4%

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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 Durham (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 Durham?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MOT pass rate in Durham?: 81.5% of MOT tests carried out in Durham pass, based on 286,154 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 81.0%.
Does this show cars registered in Durham, 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 Durham — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
What's the most common MOT failure reason in Durham?: Suspension is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Durham, present in 47.5% of failed tests there.