The picture
Colt: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 33,643 MOT tests, the Colt returns 65.5% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. A torn steering gaiter and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 82,718, 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
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
3,363 occurrences · 10.0% of tests
- 02
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
2,381 occurrences · 7.1% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,857 occurrences · 5.5% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
1,640 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
- 05
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,383 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,370 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 07
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
1,323 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 08
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
1,232 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 09
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,042 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 10
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
951 occurrences · 2.8% 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.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£168–£515
If every one of this Colt'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 Colt?
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 Colt 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.