The picture
Spark: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 20,894 MOT tests, the Spark returns 65.6% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a corroded brake pipe. A number-plate lamp out and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 65,545, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
1,957 occurrences · 9.4% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,716 occurrences · 8.2% of tests
- 03
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,076 occurrences · 5.1% of tests
- 04
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
1,036 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
- 05
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
894 occurrences · 4.3% of tests
- 06
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
752 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 07
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
697 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 08
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
672 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 09
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
467 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 10
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
455 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£128–£365
If every one of this Spark's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Buying or keeping a Spark?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Spark and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.