The picture
M: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 1,401 MOT tests, the M returns 87.4% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake efficiency below minimum requirement. Brake control has insufficient reserve travel and uneven braking force round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 10,138, 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 efficiency below minimum requirement
32 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 02
Brake control has insufficient reserve travel
14 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 03
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution
10 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
10 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
- 05
On a motorcycle with two front or rear wheels, there is inadequate braking effort at a wheel
9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 06
On a motorcycle with two front or rear wheels, there is no recorded brake effort at a wheel
9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 07
A transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn
9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 08
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
8 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 09
Audible warning not working
8 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 10
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
6 occurrences · 0.4% 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.
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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 M?
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 M 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.