West Midlands · postcode area B
Birmingham MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Birmingham area pass 76.7% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, well above the national average of 72.2% and ranking 12 of 118 areas in Britain. From 1,038,789 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 2.3 times per 100 failures here, ranking 88 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Birmingham is 4.4 percentage points above the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. Cars here average 80,858 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Birmingham
Share of failed tests in the area that recorded each item. One failed test often lists several, so these do not sum to 100%.
- 1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements14.3%
- 2.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.9%
- 3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened9.9%
- 4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.0%
- 5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.9%
- 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.6%
- 7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.7%
- 8.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.6%
- 9.A tyre cords visible or damaged6.4%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 10.A tyre seriously damaged6.3%
Corrosion
2.3 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Birmingham 88 of 118 areas for rust. Corrosion is a minor factor in this area's failures, as it is across most of urban England. What structural corrosion means for the test.
Warnings without a failure
Most common advisories
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.8% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.0% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged11.8% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.2% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.7% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened7.3% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Birmingham
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Birmingham
- Ford139,173 tests
- Volkswagen90,780 tests
- Vauxhall85,621 tests
- Toyota78,801 tests
- BMW68,175 tests
- Audi61,615 tests
- Mercedes-Benz60,387 tests
- Nissan51,638 tests
West Midlands
Other areas in West Midlands
- Coventry75.2% · #23
- Dudley74.2% · #34
- Wolverhampton74.1% · #35
- Hereford74.0% · #38
- Worcester73.6% · #43
- Telford72.9% · #50
- Shrewsbury72.7% · #52
- Walsall72.0% · #60
- Stoke-on-Trent70.8% · #78
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Birmingham?
- 76.7% of MOT tests in the Birmingham postcode area (B) pass once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, which is well above the national average of 72.2%. The unadjusted figure is 76.0%. That ranks Birmingham 12 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Birmingham?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Birmingham is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", in 14.3% of failed tests, followed by "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm" (10.9%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 2.3 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 88 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Birmingham, not the testers. Every MOT station applies the same inspection manual, and DVSA monitors testing standards nationally. A regional difference reflects the local fleet and local conditions — roads, weather, salt, how far cars are driven — rather than how hard the test is.
- Is Birmingham a bad area to buy a used car from?
- The area itself is not a concern. Corrosion is recorded less often on failed tests here than in coastal and northern areas, so a car from Birmingham is, on the evidence, less likely to carry rust problems than one from Scotland or the West Country. The individual car's MOT history still matters far more than its postcode.
Analysis built from DVSA data of