What is the MOT pass rate in Sunderland?

76.8% of MOT tests carried out in Sunderland pass, based on 168,414 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 74.8%.

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

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

Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Sunderland, present in 58.3% of failed tests there.

Sunderland MOT pass rate

At 74.8%, Cars tested in Sunderland, age-adjusted, passes slightly less often than the national average (79.2%).

76.8%

Raw pass rate

74.8%

Age-adjusted pass rate

-4.4 pts

vs national average

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“At 74.8%, Cars tested in Sunderland, age-adjusted, passes slightly less often than the national average (79.2%).”

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76.8% of 168,414 MOT tests carried out in Sunderland pass — the age-adjusted figure is 74.8%.

Pass rate by vehicle age in Sunderland

MOT pass rate by vehicle age band, cars tested in Sunderland
Vehicle age	Pass rate	Tests
0–3 years	94.0%	11,359
3–6 years	90.3%	39,305
6–10 years	78.3%	56,477
10–15 years	65.1%	42,258
15+ years	60.6%	19,015

Most common MOT failure reasons in Sunderland

Top MOT failure categories, cars tested in Sunderland
Category	Share of failed tests
Brakes	58.3%
Suspension	55.3%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	42.9%
Tyres	26.7%
Body, chassis, structure	18.1%

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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 Sunderland (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 Sunderland?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the MOT pass rate in Sunderland?: 76.8% of MOT tests carried out in Sunderland pass, based on 168,414 tests. Adjusted for the age of cars tested there, the figure is 74.8%.
Does this show cars registered in Sunderland, 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 Sunderland — which may include vehicles from further afield — not necessarily cars kept locally.
What's the most common MOT failure reason in Sunderland?: Brakes is the most common failure category among tests carried out in Sunderland, present in 58.3% of failed tests there.