2025 MOT results
Tesla Model S common problems
The most common reason a Tesla Model S fails its MOT is a tyre worn below the legal limit, on 16.3% of its 2,189 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 8.0% of failures against 2.3% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 15.6% of failures against 5.3% expected; worn suspension bushes at 8.8% of failures against 3.7% expected.
- Tests in 2025 10,836 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 20.2% 2,189 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 46.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Tesla Model S MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Tesla Model S 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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 16.3% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 15.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 10.9% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 9.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 8.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 8.0% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.4% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.9% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 4.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.3% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
16.3% of failures 9.7% expected 1.7 times as often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
15.6% of failures 5.3% expected 2.9 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
10.9% of failures 4.0% expected 2.7 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Cut tyre
9.8% of failures 6.9% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Worn suspension bushes
8.8% of failures 3.7% expected 2.4 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.0% of failures 2.3% expected 3.5 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Tesla Model S, on 47.1% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 29.4%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 47.1% |
| Suspension | 27.8% |
| Visibility | 15.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.2% |
| Brakes | 13.5% |
| Steering | 9.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 5.4% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
46.6% of Tesla Model S tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Tesla Model S cars, 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 |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 20.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.5% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.0% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 5.7% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 3.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 2.4% |
| Linkage ball joint has slight play Suspension | 2.3% |
| Service brake performance: fluctuating, but not excessively Brakes | 2.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.0% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.0% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 1.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Tesla Model S problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Tesla Model S?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm” is the most common: it appears on 16.3% of failed Tesla Model S tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 47.1% of failed tests.
How often does a Tesla Model S fail its MOT?
20.2% of Tesla Model S tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 10,836 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 52 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Tesla Model S than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 8.0% of its failures against 2.3% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 15.6% of its failures against 5.3% 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 Tesla Model S 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 | 10,836 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.