Wales · postcode area CF
Cardiff MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Cardiff area pass 68.5% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, below the national average of 72.2% and ranking 98 of 118 areas in Britain. From 539,764 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 3.2 times per 100 failures here, ranking 78 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Cardiff is 3.7 percentage points below the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. Cars here average 76,574 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Cardiff
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 requirements20.2%
- 2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.7%
- 3.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.3%
- 4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.9%
- 5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.3%
- 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.2%
- 7.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.3%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 8.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.1%
- 9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.1%
- 10.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.5%
Corrosion
3.2 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Cardiff 78 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 requirements28.7% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.3% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.0% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged8.3% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.6% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened6.1% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Cardiff
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Cardiff
- Ford83,656 tests
- Volkswagen52,042 tests
- Vauxhall43,956 tests
- Audi27,895 tests
- Mercedes-Benz26,484 tests
- Nissan26,282 tests
- BMW25,670 tests
- Toyota22,755 tests
Wales
Other areas in Wales
- Llandudno72.4% · #57
- Newport70.0% · #83
- Swansea68.9% · #91
- Llandrindod Wells68.2% · #100
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Cardiff?
- 68.5% of MOT tests in the Cardiff postcode area (CF) pass once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, which is below the national average of 72.2%. The unadjusted figure is 68.7%. That ranks Cardiff 98 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Cardiff?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Cardiff is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", in 20.2% of failed tests, followed by "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened" (10.7%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 3.2 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 78 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Cardiff, 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 Cardiff 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 Cardiff 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