When taking your car for its MOT test, you should know which areas lead to a failure. But what are the most common reasons for electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE)  vehicles failing an MOT?

Any issue that causes a car to fail its MOT means that you will need to get it repaired so that it can be re-tested. If the issue is classified as ‘dangerous’, you will not be able to drive the car until it’s resolved.

Here’s a round-up of the issues that most frequently cause an MOT failure :

Lights

According to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Authority, almost a fifth of all cars fail their MOT because of an issue with their lights. This can be a cheap and easy issue to resolve, especially if it’s just a case of replacing a bulb. It's also easy to check and resolve before the initial test by checking all your lights are working.
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Tyres

Another simple one to check before the test, tyres need to have the right tread depth of more than 1.6mm. 14% of all MOT fails are caused by tyres with tread depth issues, so if there are problems with more than one of your tyres, this could become costly.
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Suspension

One in ten failures are caused by issues with suspension, which can often occur after you’ve driven through a particularly bad pothole. These are more difficult to identify yourself, but any unusual noises while driving can indicate that there may be issues, as can any sign that your car is leaning to one side slightly when on a flat surface.
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Brakes

The MOT is designed to ensure that your car is safe to drive on the roads for your protection and that of everyone else. Brakes are critical for safety, and one in ten fails are caused by issues with them. Brake pads usually need replacing every 50,000 miles and are often an issue identified during an MOT.
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Issues With the Driver’s View

As well as being able to brake safely, it’s also crucial that nothing is impeding your view of the road and 7.2% of failures are caused by this issue. Sometimes this can be as simple as having a phone cradle in the way, or the wipers not being in good enough condition to clear the windscreen properly.

To prepare for your upcoming MOT test, check out our comprehensive pre-MOT checklist.

Don’t forget you can get handy MOT reminders from PayByPhone. Choose from thousands of garages, pick a date that works around your schedule while comparing the best price for you, then pay for your MOT in the app.