East of England · postcode area LU
Luton MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Luton area pass 76.5% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, well above the national average of 72.2% and ranking 15 of 118 areas in Britain. From 219,158 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 0.0 times per 100 failures here, ranking 105 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Luton is 4.3 percentage points above the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. The raw figure is 74.9%; the rise after adjustment is the local fleet being older than the national mix. Cars here average 88,463 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Luton
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 requirements16.1%
- 2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened12.0%
- 3.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.5%
- 4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.2%
- 5.A tyre seriously damaged7.4%
- 6.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.4%
- 7.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.4%
- 8.A tyre cords visible or damaged6.4%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.8%
- 10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.4%
Warnings without a failure
Most common advisories
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements19.8% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.5% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged11.5% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.2% of tests
- Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users8.0% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.4% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Luton
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Luton
- Vauxhall33,308 tests
- Ford23,167 tests
- Volkswagen17,795 tests
- BMW16,640 tests
- Toyota15,589 tests
- Mercedes-Benz14,166 tests
- Audi12,336 tests
- Nissan10,268 tests
East of England
Other areas in East of England
- Southend-on-Sea76.7% · #13
- Hemel Hempstead75.3% · #22
- Chelmsford74.7% · #30
- Peterborough74.3% · #32
- St Albans74.0% · #36
- Stevenage73.8% · #40
- Ipswich73.1% · #46
- Colchester73.0% · #48
- Cambridge72.9% · #51
- Norwich72.4% · #56
- Watford71.2% · #69
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Luton?
- 76.5% of MOT tests in the Luton postcode area (LU) pass once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, which is well above the national average of 72.2%. The unadjusted figure is 74.9%. That ranks Luton 15 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Luton?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Luton is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", in 16.1% of failed tests, followed by "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened" (12.0%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 0.0 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 105 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Luton, 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 Luton 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 Luton 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