North West · postcode area BB
Blackburn MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Blackburn area pass 76.0% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, above the national average of 72.2% and ranking 18 of 118 areas in Britain. From 288,452 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 7.4 times per 100 failures here, ranking 48 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Blackburn is 3.7 percentage points above the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. Cars here average 81,982 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Blackburn
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 requirements17.3%
- 2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.3%
- 3.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.6%
- 4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.0%
- 5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.7%
- 6.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.2%
- 7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.5%
- 8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play6.7%
- 9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.4%
- 10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage5.7%
Corrosion
7.4 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Blackburn 48 of 118 areas for rust. Corrosion is a meaningful share of failures here, though well short of the coastal and Scottish extremes. What structural corrosion means for the test.
Warnings without a failure
Most common advisories
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements18.4% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.6% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged8.8% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.9% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.0% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened4.4% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Blackburn
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Blackburn
- Ford34,334 tests
- Volkswagen28,488 tests
- Vauxhall22,977 tests
- Toyota19,840 tests
- BMW18,929 tests
- Audi18,128 tests
- Nissan15,295 tests
- Mercedes-Benz14,780 tests
North West
Other areas in North West
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Blackburn?
- 76.0% of MOT tests in the Blackburn postcode area (BB) pass once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, which is above the national average of 72.2%. The unadjusted figure is 75.6%. That ranks Blackburn 18 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Blackburn?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Blackburn is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", in 17.3% of failed tests, followed by "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened" (14.3%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 7.4 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 48 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Blackburn, 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 Blackburn 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 Blackburn 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