Southampton MOT pass rate
Cars tested in Southampton, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 78.8% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.
77.9%
Raw pass rate
78.8%
Age-adjusted pass rate
-0.5 pts
vs national average
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“Cars tested in Southampton, age-adjusted,'s pass rate of 78.8% is in line with the national average, at 79.2%.”
77.9% of 577,657 MOT tests carried out in Southampton pass — the age-adjusted figure is 78.8%.
Pass rate by vehicle age in Southampton
| Vehicle age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 years | 92.1% | 25,319 |
| 3–6 years | 90.1% | 106,482 |
| 6–10 years | 82.9% | 163,824 |
| 10–15 years | 72.4% | 153,632 |
| 15+ years | 65.0% | 128,400 |
Most common MOT failure reasons in Southampton
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 59.0% |
| Suspension | 36.4% |
| Brakes | 28.3% |
| Tyres | 28.3% |
| Visibility | 17.0% |
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 Southampton (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 Southampton?
- 77.9% of MOT tests carried out in Southampton pass, based on 577,657 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 78.8%.
- Does this show cars registered in Southampton, 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 Southampton — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
- What's the most common MOT failure reason in Southampton?
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Southampton, present in 59.0% of failed tests there.