Which car brands pass the MOT most often?

Lexus at 86.4% and Toyota at 78.8% both appear in the top half of the table. They are both Toyota Motor Corporation brands, and the engineering philosophy shows. Toyota's approach, conservative powertrains, proven components, minimal unnecessary complexity, translates directly into MOT pass rates.

External data backs this up consistently. The Warranty Solutions Group 2025 report, based on over 15,000 authorised warranty claims, named Lexus the UK's most reliable manufacturer with a claim rate of just 5.79%. Toyota came second, Suzuki third. Consumer Reports' 2025 survey of 380,000 vehicles placed Toyota first globally, with Lexus third.

The gap between Lexus (86.4%) and Toyota (78.8%) is 7.6 percentage points, which is larger than you might expect from two brands sharing platforms and powertrains. Lexus uses higher-spec components, better corrosion protection, and a wealthier ownership base that tends to service cars at main dealers on schedule. Both factors contribute.

Honda (79.2%) sits just above Toyota. Mazda (77.7%) is lower than its reputation might suggest, though still above the national average of 78.3%.

German cars have a reputation for being expensive to fix and unreliable after the warranty expires. The MOT data tells a different story. BMW passes at 84.4%, joint second in the entire table. Audi manages 83.9%. Mercedes-Benz sits at 82.0%.

BMW's result is particularly striking given the sample size: 3,593,629 tests. This is not a niche brand with a small, pampered fleet. There are 3.6 million MOT records, covering everything from high-mileage 3 Series diesels to low-mileage X5s. Despite the variety, the overall pass rate is higher than Toyota, Honda, and Volkswagen.

Consumer Reports' 2025 global reliability rankings placed BMW in the top ten, the only European manufacturer to make the cut. The MOT data is consistent with that finding. BMW's structural steel, galvanising, and paint processes are among the best in the industry. Their cars resist corrosion well, and the suspension and brake components are designed for high-mileage durability. The electrical issues and turbo failures that dominate forum complaints are inconveniences, not safety defects, and they do not show up as MOT failures.

Ford is the most tested brand in the UK with 7,631,420 MOT records. It passes at 75.1%. That is below the national average, but Ford sells more cars than almost anyone, across every price point, and many Fords live hard lives as company cars, delivery vehicles, and first cars for young drivers. The ownership profile drags the number down.

Vauxhall is similar: 4,741,627 tests, 73.3% pass rate. The Corsa and Astra are among the most common cars on UK roads, often bought on price and not always maintained to the same standard as a BMW or Lexus. The brand's pass rate reflects its market position as much as its engineering.

Volkswagen (78.5% on 5.3 million tests) sits notably higher than Ford and Vauxhall despite being a similarly high-volume brand. The Golf, Polo, and Tiguan benefit from the VW Group's platform-sharing strategy, which spreads development costs across Audi, Skoda, and SEAT. Better engineering at the same price point translates into better MOT results.

Citroen (71.3%), Renault (71.8%), and Peugeot (73.3%) all sit in the bottom quarter. These are not small samples: Peugeot has 2.3 million tests, Renault 1.7 million, Citroen 1.7 million. The pattern is consistent and statistically robust.

French manufacturers have historically used softer suspension setups that prioritise ride comfort over longevity. More broadly, the French brands have tended to use cheaper bushes, thinner brake discs, and lighter-gauge steel than German or Japanese equivalents. The result shows in the data.

There is a nuance, though. The What Car? 2024 reliability survey found newer Citroen and Renault models performing much better, with both brands entering the top ten for the first time. The MOT data covers all ages, and the older fleet (where French brands struggled most) pulls the averages down. If you are considering a recent Peugeot 208 or Renault Clio, check the specific model data on our full rankings page rather than judging by the brand average alone.

Chevrolet sits last at 65.7%. More than one in three Chevrolets fails its MOT. The brand has a small UK presence (102,554 tests), concentrated in models like the Aveo, Spark, and Cruze that were sold between roughly 2008 and 2015 before GM pulled the brand from Europe.

These were budget cars, often rebadged Daewoos, built to a price point. They were cheap to buy new, and the MOT data suggests they were cheap to build. With no new cars sold in the UK for over a decade, the remaining fleet is ageing, and the pass rate reflects it.

Brand-level MOT pass rates are a useful starting point, but they are not the whole picture. Age, mileage, specific model, and maintenance history all matter more than the badge on the bonnet. A well-maintained Peugeot will pass its MOT more often than a neglected BMW.

That said, if you are choosing between two similar cars at a similar price, the MOT data gives you an edge. A Volkswagen Golf at 78.5% is a safer bet than a Vauxhall Astra, all else being equal.

For model-specific data, see our full MOT pass rate rankings or search for any car on our homepage. If your car is due for its MOT soon, a pre-MOT check through BookMyGarage can catch the most common failure items before you book the test.