East of England · postcode area IP
Ipswich MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Ipswich area pass 73.1% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, about the national average of 72.2% and ranking 46 of 118 areas in Britain. From 395,533 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 8.0 times per 100 failures here, ranking 44 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Ipswich is 0.9 percentage points above the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. The raw figure is 71.0%; the rise after adjustment is the local fleet being older than the national mix. Cars here average 83,534 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Ipswich
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 damaged16.3%
- 2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.0%
- 3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.5%
- 4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements7.9%
- 5.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.5%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements7.1%
- 7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.0%
- 8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.9%
- 9.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.6%
- 10.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.9%
Corrosion
8.0 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Ipswich 44 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 requirements21.8% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged17.4% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.3% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.7% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.4% of tests
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.9% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Ipswich
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Ipswich
- Ford60,986 tests
- Volkswagen38,300 tests
- Vauxhall29,308 tests
- BMW21,486 tests
- Audi20,627 tests
- Nissan20,182 tests
- Mercedes-Benz18,307 tests
- Peugeot15,436 tests
East of England
Other areas in East of England
- Southend-on-Sea76.7% · #13
- Luton76.5% · #15
- Hemel Hempstead75.3% · #22
- Chelmsford74.7% · #30
- Peterborough74.3% · #32
- St Albans74.0% · #36
- Stevenage73.8% · #40
- Colchester73.0% · #48
- Cambridge72.9% · #51
- Norwich72.4% · #56
- Watford71.2% · #69
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Ipswich?
- 73.1% of MOT tests in the Ipswich postcode area (IP) 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 71.0%. That ranks Ipswich 46 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Ipswich?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Ipswich is "A tyre seriously damaged", in 16.3% of failed tests, followed by "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened" (14.0%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 8.0 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 44 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Ipswich, 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 Ipswich 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 Ipswich 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