Plymouth MOT pass rate
Cars tested in Plymouth, age-adjusted, passes 73.9% of the time, noticeably below the figure for the national average (79.2%).
71.1%
Raw pass rate
73.9%
Age-adjusted pass rate
-5.4 pts
vs national average
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“Cars tested in Plymouth, age-adjusted, passes 73.9% of the time, noticeably below the figure for the national average (79.2%).”
71.1% of 545,298 MOT tests carried out in Plymouth pass — the age-adjusted figure is 73.9%.
Pass rate by vehicle age in Plymouth
| Vehicle age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 years | 92.0% | 17,330 |
| 3–6 years | 89.3% | 77,296 |
| 6–10 years | 79.6% | 156,433 |
| 10–15 years | 65.1% | 161,328 |
| 15+ years | 55.0% | 132,911 |
Most common MOT failure reasons in Plymouth
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 52.3% |
| Suspension | 49.9% |
| Brakes | 40.2% |
| Tyres | 24.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 17.3% |
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 Plymouth (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 Plymouth?
- 71.1% of MOT tests carried out in Plymouth pass, based on 545,298 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 73.9%.
- Does this show cars registered in Plymouth, 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 Plymouth — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
- What's the most common MOT failure reason in Plymouth?
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Plymouth, present in 52.3% of failed tests there.