North West · postcode area PR
Preston MOT pass rate
Data updated
Quick answer
Cars tested in the Preston area pass 71.8% of MOTs once results are adjusted for their age and mileage, about the national average of 72.2% and ranking 64 of 118 areas in Britain. From 305,315 tests. Corrosion items are recorded 6.6 times per 100 failures here, ranking 57 of 118 for rust.
At a glance
Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage
Preston is 0.5 percentage points below the national pass rate once the age and mileage of its cars are accounted for. Cars here average 72,871 miles at test.
DVSA recorded wording
What cars fail on in Preston
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 requirements16.8%
- 2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened11.6%
- 3.a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.5%
- 4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.8%
- 5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.5%
- 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.7%
- 7.A tyre cords visible or damaged7.6%
Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
- 8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.5%
- 9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.5%
- 10.A tyre seriously damaged6.1%
Corrosion
6.6 corrosion items per 100 failed tests
That ranks Preston 57 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 requirements26.8% of tests
- A tyre seriously damaged13.8% of tests
- Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.9% of tests
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.6% of tests
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.6% of tests
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened5.0% of tests
How wear changes the picture
Pass rate by age in Preston
What gets tested here
Makes most often tested in Preston
- Ford35,584 tests
- Volkswagen26,327 tests
- Vauxhall23,535 tests
- BMW19,122 tests
- Nissan18,006 tests
- Toyota15,934 tests
- Audi15,784 tests
- Mercedes-Benz15,183 tests
North West
Other areas in North West
Common questions
- What is the MOT pass rate in Preston?
- 71.8% of MOT tests in the Preston postcode area (PR) 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 72.7%. That ranks Preston 64 of 118 areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
- What do cars fail on most in Preston?
- The item recorded most often on failed tests in Preston is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", in 16.8% of failed tests, followed by "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened" (11.6%). Corrosion-related items are recorded 6.6 times per 100 failed tests here, which ranks 57 of 118 areas for corrosion.
- Does this mean garages here are stricter or more lenient?
- No. The figure describes the cars tested in Preston, 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 Preston 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 Preston 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