What is the MOT pass rate in Edinburgh?

75.4% of MOT tests carried out in Edinburgh pass, based on 713,169 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 72.6%.

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

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

Suspension is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Edinburgh, present in 44.3% of failed tests there.

Edinburgh MOT pass rate

Cars tested in Edinburgh, age-adjusted, passes 72.6% of the time, noticeably below the figure for the national average (79.2%).

75.4%

Raw pass rate

72.6%

Age-adjusted pass rate

-6.6 pts

vs national average

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“Cars tested in Edinburgh, age-adjusted, passes 72.6% of the time, noticeably below the figure for the national average (79.2%).”

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75.4% of 713,169 MOT tests carried out in Edinburgh pass — the age-adjusted figure is 72.6%.

Pass rate by vehicle age in Edinburgh

MOT pass rate by vehicle age band, cars tested in Edinburgh
Vehicle age	Pass rate	Tests
0–3 years	89.7%	52,021
3–6 years	86.2%	196,423
6–10 years	75.4%	237,697
10–15 years	63.8%	149,584
15+ years	61.0%	77,444

Most common MOT failure reasons in Edinburgh

Top MOT failure categories, cars tested in Edinburgh
Category	Share of failed tests
Suspension	44.3%
Brakes	43.1%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	37.7%
Tyres	24.5%
Body, chassis, structure	14.8%

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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 Edinburgh (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 Edinburgh?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MOT pass rate in Edinburgh?: 75.4% of MOT tests carried out in Edinburgh pass, based on 713,169 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 72.6%.
Does this show cars registered in Edinburgh, 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 Edinburgh — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
What's the most common MOT failure reason in Edinburgh?: Suspension is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Edinburgh, present in 44.3% of failed tests there.