The areas with the lowest pass rates
| Rank | Postcode area | Age-adjusted first-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkcaldy and Fife (KY) | 60.5% |
| 2 | Dundee (DD) | 60.7% |
| 3 | Aberdeen (AB) | 63.9% |
| 4 | Falkirk (FK) | 65.0% |
| 5 | Paisley (PA) | 65.2% |
| 6 | Perth (PH) | 65.5% |
| 7 | Motherwell (ML) | 66.0% |
| 8 | Bristol (BS) | 66.2% |
| 9 | Edinburgh (EH) | 66.4% |
| 10 | Exeter (EX) | 66.7% |
The areas with the highest pass rates
| Rank | Postcode area | Age-adjusted first-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southall and Uxbridge (UB) | 79.2% |
| 2 | Sutton (SM) | 79.0% |
| 3 | Slough (SL) | 78.6% |
| 4 | Ilford (IG) | 78.3% |
| 5 | Romford (RM) | 78.0% |
All 114 postcode areas, with the number of tests in each, are in our full study of MOT pass rates by area.
Why Scotland and the South West do worse
The data shows where cars fail, not why. Likely factors include wet weather and road salt, which speed up corrosion of brakes and suspension, longer rural journeys, and differences in how strictly test centres apply the rules. The South West also has Exeter, Plymouth (66.8%) and Truro (67.3%) in the bottom 15.
How we did this analysis
We used DVSA's anonymised MOT results for seven months of 2025, covering 16.9 million first-time tests on cars and light vans. Areas are grouped by the postcode area of the test centre. Because older cars fail more often, we adjusted each area's rate to the national mix of car ages, so an area is not marked down just for having older cars. Only areas with at least 20,000 tests are included.
Want to know how your own car's model performs? Use the checker in our most reliable cars study.
Sources
- DVSA: Anonymised MOT tests and results
- VehicleFile: The most reliable cars in the UK (full method and data)
Facts checked against the sources above on 19 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.