Yamaha common problems and MOT failures

From 203,244 MOT tests in 2024, 15.0% of Yamaha vehicles failed. Below are the most common reasons, ranked by how often they occur.

Top Yamaha MOT failure reasons

#	Problem	Occurrences	% of failures
1	shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely	2,574	17.7%
2	tyre tread depth outside legal limits	2,310	15.9%
3	brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm	1,605	11.1%
4	transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn	1,229	8.5%
5	the aim of a headlamp is not within limits the requirements	1,222	8.4%
6	direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	1,220	8.4%
7	reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear	1,211	8.3%
8	significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake	1,088	7.5%
9	headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led	1,086	7.5%
10	stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	967	6.7%

What this means if you're buying a Yamaha

The single most common MOT failure for Yamaha is shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely, accounting for 18% of all failure items.

These figures are from real MOT inspections. They show what testers actually find wrong with Yamaha vehicles. If you're viewing a used Yamaha, it's worth checking these areas specifically.

Yamaha models by MOT pass rate

Lowest pass rates first. These models have the most testable issues.

Model	Tests	Pass rate
Yq50	678	70.4%
Wr 125 X	626	70.4%
Ybr 125	2,574	71.7%
Ybr125	2,296	72.1%
Yn50	213	72.8%
Yzf	5,506	72.9%
Yzf R125	1,887	73.1%
Xvs125	305	73.1%
Ns	572	75.2%
Ys 125	2,076	75.7%
Yzf R125 Abs	1,131	75.8%
Mt 125 Abs	2,032	76.5%
Ybr 125 Custom	655	76.5%
Ybr	2,912	76.7%
Nxc 125 Cygnus	285	77.5%

Buying a specific Yamaha? Check the individual vehicle's MOT history for free on GOV.UK to see its actual test results, advisories, and mileage readings.

Check MOT history on GOV.UK