What is the MOT pass rate in Scottish Borders?

77.0% of MOT tests carried out in Scottish Borders pass, based on 107,061 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 75.4%.

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

What's the most common MOT failure reason in Scottish Borders?

Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Scottish Borders, present in 54.6% of failed tests there.

Scottish Borders MOT pass rate

At 75.4%, Cars tested in Scottish Borders, age-adjusted, passes slightly less often than the national average (79.2%).

77.0%

Raw pass rate

75.4%

Age-adjusted pass rate

-3.8 pts

vs national average

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“At 75.4%, Cars tested in Scottish Borders, age-adjusted, passes slightly less often than the national average (79.2%).”

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77.0% of 107,061 MOT tests carried out in Scottish Borders pass — the age-adjusted figure is 75.4%.

Pass rate by vehicle age in Scottish Borders

MOT pass rate by vehicle age band, cars tested in Scottish Borders
Vehicle age	Pass rate	Tests
0–3 years	93.4%	4,494
3–6 years	90.7%	25,396
6–10 years	79.3%	37,399
10–15 years	65.9%	25,686
15+ years	60.9%	14,086

Most common MOT failure reasons in Scottish Borders

Top MOT failure categories, cars tested in Scottish Borders
Category	Share of failed tests
Brakes	54.6%
Suspension	44.5%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	41.4%
Tyres	19.8%
Body, chassis, structure	16.7%

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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 Scottish Borders (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 Scottish Borders?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MOT pass rate in Scottish Borders?: 77.0% of MOT tests carried out in Scottish Borders pass, based on 107,061 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 75.4%.
Does this show cars registered in Scottish Borders, 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 Scottish Borders — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
What's the most common MOT failure reason in Scottish Borders?: Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Scottish Borders, present in 54.6% of failed tests there.