2025 MOT results
Smart City common problems
The most common reason a Smart City fails its MOT is headlamp aim out of line, on 15.3% of its 1,934 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 8 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a horn not working at 5.6% of failures against 1.3% expected; emissions above the limit at 10.5% of failures against 4.0% expected; washers that do not work at 13.2% of failures against 5.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 4,850 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 39.9% 1,934 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 63.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Smart City MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Smart City tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.3% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.3% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 13.2% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.5% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 10.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.2% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.6% |
| Washers: not working Visibility | 6.3% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.9% |
| Horn: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 5.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Headlamp aim out of line
15.3% of failures 9.3% expected 1.6 times as often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Brake light out
14.3% of failures 9.4% expected 1.5 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Washers that do not work
13.2% of failures 5.2% expected 2.5 times as often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
-
Emissions above the limit
10.5% of failures 4.0% expected 2.6 times as often
The exhaust gases are outside the limits for the car, which can be the catalytic converter, a sensor, or simply a poor state of tune.
A long run before the test helps a catalyst get hot; a persistent failure usually needs a diagnosis.
-
Broken coil spring
10.4% of failures 6.8% expected 1.5 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Sidelight out
10.2% of failures 12.7% expected somewhat less often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Smart City, on 57.7% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is visibility, on 27.4% against 16.6% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 57.7% |
| Suspension | 31.7% |
| Visibility | 27.4% |
| Brakes | 22.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 20.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 12.8% |
| Tyres | 12.5% |
| Steering | 6.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
63.5% of Smart City tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Smart Citys, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 14.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.3% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 11.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 7.1% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.8% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 4.1% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 3.6% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Smart City problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Smart City?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect” is the most common: it appears on 15.3% of failed Smart City tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 57.7% of failed tests.
How often does a Smart City fail its MOT?
39.9% of Smart City tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 4,850 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 49 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Smart City than on other cars?
Yes. “Horn: not working” appears on 5.6% of its failures against 1.3% for cars of the same age, and “Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits” appears on 10.5% of its failures against 4.0% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Smart City aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 4,850 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.