South East · postcode area GU
Guildford MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Guildford area pass 72.1% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, about the national average of 72.2% and ranking 59 of 118 areas in Britain. From 453,061 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 0.0 times per 100 failures here, ranking 118 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Guildford is 0.1 percentage points below the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. Cars here average 73,805 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Guildford
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 tyre seriously damaged14.4%
- 2.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.4%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.5%
- 4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements7.9%
- 5.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.8%
- 6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened7.6%
- 7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.3%
- 8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.9%
- 9.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.1%
- 10.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements5.9%
Warnings without a failure
Most common advisories
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.6% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged15.7% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.0% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.8% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.6% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened7.1% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Guildford
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Guildford
- Volkswagen50,772 tests
- Ford50,348 tests
- BMW31,217 tests
- Vauxhall29,198 tests
- Audi25,688 tests
- Mercedes-Benz23,154 tests
- Toyota22,692 tests
- Nissan19,151 tests
South East
Other areas in South East
- Slough78.8% · #3
- Dartford76.2% · #17
- Medway74.8% · #27
- Reading74.7% · #31
- Milton Keynes74.3% · #33
- Redhill74.0% · #37
- Oxford73.0% · #49
- Tonbridge72.7% · #55
- Canterbury72.2% · #58
- Southampton71.8% · #63
- Portsmouth68.8% · #94
- Brighton68.0% · #104
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Guildford?
- 72.1% of MOT tests in the Guildford postcode area (GU) pass once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, which is about the national average of 72.2%. The unadjusted figure is 72.3%. That ranks Guildford 59 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Guildford?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Guildford is "A tyre seriously damaged", in 14.4% of failed tests, followed by "A tyre cords visible or damaged" (9.4%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 0.0 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 118 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Guildford, 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 Guildford 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 Guildford 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