The MOT at 15 years and older

At a glance

Pass rate at this age

What fails

What cars fail on at 15 years and older

Failure items for models whose fleet is almost entirely this age, against all cars. Old cars fail on the mechanical list: lamps, brakes, suspension and the corrosion that only years produce.

Same age, compared fairly

Models that pass most at 15 years and older

Every car here is the same age, so no adjustment is needed. Limited to models with at least 5,000 tests in this band, which leaves out low-volume exotics whose owners barely drive them.

Same age, compared fairly

Models that pass least at 15 years and older

391 models have at least 1,000 tests at this age; 210 clear the 5,000 floor used here.

Common questions

What is the MOT pass rate for a car 15 years and older?

58.9%, across 7,203,853 DVSA tests of cars first registered 2010 and earlier. The national rate across all ages is 72.3%. That is 4.8 points below the 12 to 14 years old band, which is roughly the size of the step at every age.

Which car is most reliable at 15 years and older?

Among models with at least 5,000 tests at this age, the Bentley Continental passes most often at 88.8%, and the Nissan Qashqai least at 45.0%. Because every car compared is the same age, this is the fairest ordering on the site — though a car's own mileage and history still matter more than its model.

Which MOT is this?

A car 15 years and older is on its thirteenth MOT onwards. The first MOT falls when the car turns three, and each is annual after that, so the age band maps directly onto how many times the car has been through the test.

Should I buy a car that is 15 years and older?

With care, and underneath. Pass rates at this age are below three in five, and the items are structural: corroded brake pipes, worn suspension, broken springs. A car with a long, clean MOT history at this age has been looked after; one with a run of advisories has not. The history is the whole story.