What is the MOT pass rate for a car 3 to 5 years old?

87.2%, across 5,292,872 DVSA tests of cars first registered 2020–2022. The national rate across all ages is 72.3%.

Which car is most reliable at 3 to 5 years old?

Among models with at least 5,000 tests at this age, the Porsche 911 passes most often at 95.9%, and the Citroen Dispatch least at 71.3%. 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.

A car 3 to 5 years old is on its first to third MOT. 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 3 to 5 years old?

Cars this age are the safest used buy on the evidence: most failures are tyres and consumables that show up in a test drive and a look at the tread. Check the MOT history for a clean first test and any tyre advisories.

Registered 2020–2022 · first to third MOT

The MOT at 3 to 5 years old

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Cars 3 to 5 years old pass 87.2% of MOT tests, from 5,292,872 DVSA tests of cars first registered 2020–2022. Ranked among 188 models with at least 5,000 tests at this age, the Porsche 911 passes most often at 95.9% and the Citroen Dispatch least at 71.3%.

At a glance

Pass rate at this age

87.2%national all ages 72.3%5,292,872 tests

What fails

What cars fail on at 3 to 5 years old

Failure items for models whose fleet is almost entirely this age, against all cars. Young cars fail on tyres above everything else; suspension, brakes and corrosion barely feature yet.

Cars 3 to 5 years oldAll cars

Tyres: 88.1
31.8
Suspension: 15.0
55.5
Brakes: 14.3
28.8
Wipers and screen: 13.6
14.2
Lamps: 11.2
38.5
Tyre pressure monitoring: 3.7
1.3
Number plate: 2.6
0.3
Engine and emissions: 1.7
10.6
Corrosion: 0.4
2.2

Items recorded per 100 failed tests. A failed test often lists several items, so these are not percentages of tests and can exceed 100. The measure is the same on both sides.

Same age, compared fairly

Models that pass most at 3 to 5 years old

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.

#	Model	Pass rate	Tests at this age
1	Porsche 911	95.9%	5,171
2	Lexus RX	95.0%	5,595
3	Toyota Aygo X	94.3%	12,025
4	Lexus UX	93.9%	12,666
5	Honda Hr-V	93.8%	10,489
6	Porsche Macan	93.4%	11,837
7	Lexus NX	92.9%	11,547
8	Honda Jazz	92.8%	35,882
9	Porsche Cayenne	92.7%	6,368
10	Toyota Yaris Cross	92.7%	17,076
11	Honda Cr-V	92.4%	16,538
12	Suzuki Vitara	92.3%	17,728
13	Toyota RAV4	92.2%	34,254
14	Suzuki Ignis	92.1%	10,420
15	Jaguar I-Pace	92.0%	17,865
16	Audi Q2	91.9%	40,912
17	Audi TT	91.8%	8,057
18	Audi Q3	91.8%	35,221
19	Ford Puma	91.5%	89,523
20	Volkswagen T-Roc	91.5%	55,398

Same age, compared fairly

Models that pass least at 3 to 5 years old

#	Model	Pass rate	Tests at this age
169	Citroen Dispatch	71.3%	9,844
170	Citroen Berlingo	72.8%	31,260
171	Vauxhall Combo	73.6%	31,221
172	Vauxhall Vivaro	73.8%	30,484
173	Peugeot Partner	75.3%	27,740
174	Renault Trafic	77.0%	15,752
175	Mercedes-Benz Vito	77.0%	11,027
176	Ford Transit Connect	77.2%	30,192
177	Ford Transit Courier	77.6%	11,370
178	Ford Tourneo Custom	77.7%	8,921
179	Ford Transit Custom	78.0%	106,473
180	Peugeot Rifter	79.8%	5,885
181	Ford Ranger	79.8%	42,260
182	Ford Transit	80.6%	5,036
183	Dacia Duster	80.6%	27,650
184	Ford Tourneo Connect	80.7%	5,473
185	Nissan Navara	80.8%	11,151
186	Isuzu D-Max	81.7%	8,936
187	Citroen C4	81.8%	8,427
188	Volkswagen Transporter	81.9%	45,594

320 models have at least 1,000 tests at this age; 188 clear the 5,000 floor used here.

Common questions

What is the MOT pass rate for a car 3 to 5 years old?: 87.2%, across 5,292,872 DVSA tests of cars first registered 2020–2022. The national rate across all ages is 72.3%.
Which car is most reliable at 3 to 5 years old?: Among models with at least 5,000 tests at this age, the Porsche 911 passes most often at 95.9%, and the Citroen Dispatch least at 71.3%. 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 3 to 5 years old is on its first to third MOT. 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 3 to 5 years old?: Cars this age are the safest used buy on the evidence: most failures are tyres and consumables that show up in a test drive and a look at the tread. Check the MOT history for a clean first test and any tyre advisories.

Analysis built from DVSA data of 29 July 2026