The picture
Unclassified: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 1,442 MOT tests, the Unclassified returns 75.0% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A weak handbrake and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 107,888, 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
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
66 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
- 02
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
53 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
52 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 04
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
45 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 05
Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced
39 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
34 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
33 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 08
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
28 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 09
Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value
27 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 10
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
26 occurrences · 1.8% 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 Unclassified?
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 Unclassified 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.