South East · postcode area PO
Portsmouth MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Portsmouth area pass 68.8% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, below the national average of 72.2% and ranking 94 of 118 areas in Britain. From 470,978 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 4.4 times per 100 failures here, ranking 72 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Portsmouth is 3.4 percentage points below the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. The raw figure is 67.4%; the rise after adjustment is the local fleet being older than the national mix. Cars here average 77,271 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Portsmouth
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 damaged14.0%
- 2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.7%
- 3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.6%
- 4.A tyre cords visible or damaged8.8%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 5.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.4%
- 6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements8.3%
- 7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.6%
- 8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.5%
- 9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.1%
- 10.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.1%
Corrosion
4.4 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Portsmouth 72 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 requirements28.0% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged21.4% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.1% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.2% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.3% of tests
- Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users7.8% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Portsmouth
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Portsmouth
- Ford62,712 tests
- Volkswagen44,656 tests
- Vauxhall36,107 tests
- Nissan23,666 tests
- BMW22,455 tests
- Mercedes-Benz21,873 tests
- Toyota21,379 tests
- Peugeot20,279 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
- Guildford72.1% · #59
- Southampton71.8% · #63
- Brighton68.0% · #104
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Portsmouth?
- 68.8% of MOT tests in the Portsmouth postcode area (PO) 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 67.4%. That ranks Portsmouth 94 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Portsmouth?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Portsmouth is "A tyre seriously damaged", in 14.0% of failed tests, followed by "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning" (9.7%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 4.4 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 72 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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