Torquay among UK towns with highest MOT pass rates, study finds

Torquay has been named one of the areas with the highest MOT pass rates in the UK, according to new analysis by motoring firm BlackCircles.

The study examined MOT data between 2020 and 2024 and found that 98.7 per cent of tests carried out in Torquay were successful, placing the town sixth nationally.

The highest pass rate was recorded in Llandrindod Wells, where 99.09 per cent of vehicles passed their MOT. Other areas with strong results included East Central London (98.98 per cent) and Dorchester (98.90 per cent).

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BlackCircles’ MOT Index analysed pass and failure rates across the UK, as well as the most common reasons vehicles fail the annual test.

The study found that electrical equipment issues were the leading cause of MOT failures. More than one in ten tests of cars and light vans in the 2024–25 financial year recorded a major or dangerous defect linked to lamps, reflectors or other electrical components.

The model most likely to pass an MOT was the Suzuki Ignis, which achieved a 94.64 per cent pass rate last year. The Citroën Dispatch performed worst, with 37.78 per cent of vehicles failing in 2024.

Overall MOT failures across the UK have declined in recent years. The highest failure rate in the data was in 2020, when 2.54 per cent of all MOTs resulted in a fail.

Aberdeen recorded the highest number of MOT failures in the UK. Its failure rate peaked in 2021 at 4.54 per cent but fell to 3.32 per cent in 2024.