East Midlands · postcode area DE
Derby MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Derby area pass 74.8% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, above the national average of 72.2% and ranking 28 of 118 areas in Britain. From 458,772 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 5.5 times per 100 failures here, ranking 67 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Derby is 2.5 percentage points above the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. Cars here average 76,180 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Derby
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.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened12.6%
- 2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.8%
- 3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.8%
- 4.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.4%
- 5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.2%
- 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.3%
- 7.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.2%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.7%
- 9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.7%
- 10.A tyre seriously damaged5.5%
Corrosion
5.5 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Derby 67 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 requirements24.1% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged13.3% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.5% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.6% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.1% of tests
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded5.6% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Derby
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Derby
- Ford65,093 tests
- Vauxhall43,641 tests
- Volkswagen41,889 tests
- Toyota26,225 tests
- BMW25,371 tests
- Audi24,202 tests
- Nissan22,152 tests
- Mercedes-Benz21,564 tests
East Midlands
Other areas in East Midlands
- Leicester75.0% · #25
- Nottingham71.6% · #65
- Northampton71.1% · #71
- Lincoln68.1% · #102
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Derby?
- 74.8% of MOT tests in the Derby postcode area (DE) 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 74.9%. That ranks Derby 28 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Derby?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Derby is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", in 12.6% of failed tests, followed by "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements" (11.8%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 5.5 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 67 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Derby, 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 Derby 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 Derby 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