Buying a car
The most reliable used cars by MOT pass rate
We counted MOT results: 5.4 million tests in February and March 2025, each model set against cars of the same age. A pass rate shows how well a model stands up to wear. It makes no promise about the one you are looking at.
By Tania Elsafin. Updated
Which used cars are the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, the Audi TT and Honda Jazz did best among cars first registered in 2015 to 2017: 87.0% and 86.5% passed first time in early 2025, against 76.3% of all cars that age. Among 2018 to 2020 cars the Volkswagen T-Roc and Honda CR-V led, at 90.4% and 90.0%.
Cars first registered 2015 to 2017: the top 15
These cars were eight to ten years old at the test. Across all of them, 76.3% passed first time.
| Model | Passed first time | MOTs counted | Middle mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audi TT | 87.0% | 4,583 | 55,500 |
| Honda Jazz | 86.5% | 10,385 | 39,600 |
| BMW X5 | 85.7% | 3,141 | 77,800 |
| BMW 520 | 85.1% | 4,376 | 94,100 |
| Honda CR-V | 84.6% | 7,501 | 68,700 |
| MINI Countryman | 84.5% | 4,536 | 56,500 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 84.2% | 34,039 | 68,700 |
| MINI Cooper S | 83.9% | 4,487 | 53,700 |
| BMW X1 | 83.9% | 5,273 | 65,200 |
| Toyota Prius | 83.7% | 6,872 | 132,500 |
| MINI One | 83.7% | 4,249 | 52,600 |
| Audi A6 | 83.4% | 5,545 | 88,300 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLC | 83.2% | 3,848 | 69,000 |
| MINI Cooper | 83.1% | 13,521 | 53,700 |
| Range Rover Evoque | 82.8% | 11,776 | 68,100 |
The Toyota Prius passed 83.7% of the time with a middle reading of 132,500 miles, far more than any other car in the table.
DVSA records some models by version. The MINI Cooper, Cooper S and One are all the MINI hatchback. The BMW 520 is a 5 Series.
Cars first registered 2015 to 2017: the lowest pass rates
| Model | Passed first time | MOTs counted | Middle mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renault Clio | 58.9% | 12,034 | 57,800 |
| DS3 | 62.0% | 4,310 | 55,800 |
| Dacia Sandero | 62.4% | 7,556 | 56,200 |
| Citroen C4 | 63.5% | 8,599 | 74,100 |
| Dacia Duster | 65.4% | 3,339 | 65,800 |
| Vauxhall Adam | 65.6% | 5,013 | 51,500 |
| Vauxhall Mokka | 65.8% | 20,710 | 58,600 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 66.3% | 39,625 | 57,200 |
| Seat Ibiza | 67.0% | 9,423 | 61,900 |
| Peugeot 2008 | 67.9% | 9,485 | 61,100 |
A low pass rate doesn’t make every car of that model a bad buy. It means the MOT history of the one you are looking at deserves a closer read.
Cars first registered 2018 to 2020
These were five to seven years old. Across all of them, 84.3% passed first time.
| Model | Passed first time | MOTs counted | Middle mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 90.4% | 9,869 | 41,900 |
| Honda CR-V | 90.0% | 4,633 | 43,000 |
| Honda Jazz | 89.5% | 10,260 | 27,400 |
| Audi Q2 | 89.5% | 8,254 | 42,100 |
| Audi Q5 | 88.9% | 6,027 | 51,200 |
| Audi Q3 | 88.8% | 5,463 | 46,300 |
| MINI Countryman | 88.7% | 6,153 | 39,000 |
| Volvo XC40 | 88.6% | 6,599 | 41,700 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 88.5% | 4,179 | 45,300 |
| Toyota Corolla | 88.5% | 3,120 | 51,200 |
The lowest at this age were the Dacia Duster at 71.2%, the Renault Clio at 71.5% and the Dacia Sandero at 75.3%.
By make
Makes with at least 10,000 tests in each age group, by first-time pass rate.
| Make | First registered 2015 to 2017 | First registered 2018 to 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Honda | 84.7% | 88.7% |
| MINI | 83.1% | 87.4% |
| BMW | 82.6% | 86.7% |
| Jaguar | 82.4% | 86.5% |
| Land Rover | 81.7% | 85.5% |
| Audi | 81.2% | 87.3% |
| Toyota | 81.2% | 86.1% |
| Volkswagen | 79.6% | 86.0% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 79.4% | 85.3% |
| Suzuki | 78.8% | 86.0% |
| Skoda | 78.0% | 84.3% |
| Mazda | 77.7% | 87.4% |
| Hyundai | 77.6% | 84.1% |
| Volvo | 76.4% | 86.3% |
| Kia | 76.3% | 84.3% |
| Seat | 74.9% | 82.6% |
| Ford | 73.9% | 83.7% |
| Nissan | 73.2% | 82.7% |
| Peugeot | 71.3% | 80.5% |
| Fiat | 70.2% | 81.6% |
| Vauxhall | 69.2% | 79.9% |
| Citroen | 69.0% | 80.9% |
| Renault | 66.9% | 78.3% |
| Dacia | 63.7% | 73.5% |
How age changes the odds
| First registered | Passed first time in early 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 88.6% |
| 2020 | 86.8% |
| 2018 | 82.4% |
| 2016 | 76.2% |
| 2015 | 73.0% |
| 2013 | 66.4% |
| 2010 | 59.4% |
| 2005 | 57.3% |
Each year of age took two to three percentage points off the pass rate until cars reached about fifteen years old. After that it levelled off at about 57%.
Electric cars passed less often than petrol cars of the same age: 86.9% against 90.2% at three years old. Hybrids did best of all at that age, at 90.4%.
What a pass rate can’t tell you
A model’s pass rate also reflects how its owners treat it and how far they drive. We show the middle mileage beside each model for that reason.
- Breakdowns between MOTs.
- Faults the MOT doesn’t test. GOV.UK lists the engine, clutch and gearbox among the parts it leaves out.
- How the one car you are looking at was kept. Its own MOT history tells you that.
How we counted
The results come from the anonymised MOT data DVSA published in June 2026. We counted 5,411,469 normal MOTs on cars in February and March 2025. Retests are left out, as are light vans such as the Ford Transit.
A car passed first time if it passed with no repair at the test. A car repaired within the hour and then passed counts as a fail, as DVSA counts it. Only models with at least 3,000 tests in their age group are listed. Model names are DVSA’s.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What is the most reliable used car to buy?
By MOT pass rate the Honda Jazz and Honda CR-V are the most consistent: both sit near the top among 2015 to 2017 cars and 2018 to 2020 cars alike. Whatever the model, the car’s own MOT history matters more than the average.
Which car make is the most reliable?
Honda had the highest first-time pass rate of any make in both age groups we counted: 84.7% for 2015 to 2017 cars and 88.7% for 2018 to 2020 cars. Dacia had the lowest in both.
Which cars fail their MOT most?
Among cars first registered in 2015 to 2017, the Renault Clio had the lowest first-time pass rate of any model with 3,000 tests or more: 58.9%. The DS3 and Dacia Sandero came next.
Is a car with a low pass rate a bad buy?
Not on its own. A pass rate is an average across thousands of cars. Read the MOT history of the one you are looking at.
Are electric cars more reliable at the MOT?
Not in our count. At three years old 86.9% of electric cars passed first time. Petrol cars managed 90.2% and hybrids 90.4%.
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