The MOT Files

Section 5 · Axles, wheels, tyres and suspension

5.2.2 Road wheel condition

Manual indexed

Quick answer

Sub-section 5.2.2 of the MOT inspection manual covers road wheel condition and lists 6 defects, 3 of them Dangerous. A reference like "(5.2.2 (a))" on a certificate points to the matching row below. The most recorded is "Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel", about 0.2 times per 100 failed tests.

Official wording

The defect clauses

  1. 5.2.2 (a)Dangerous0.2 per 100 fails

    Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel

    Road wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained: what it means and what puts it right

  2. 5.2.2 (b)(i)Major

    A tyre retaining ring not correctly fitted

  3. 5.2.2 (b)(ii)Dangerous

    A tyre retaining ring likely to come off

  4. 5.2.2 (c)(i)Majorunder 0.1 per 100 fails

    A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting

    Road wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained: what it means and what puts it right

  5. 5.2.2 (c)(ii)Dangerousunder 0.1 per 100 fails

    A wheel distorted or worn to the extent the wheel or tyre is likely to become detached

    Road wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained: what it means and what puts it right

  6. 5.2.2 (d)Majorunder 0.1 per 100 fails

    A wheel and its fixings not compatible

Wording and categories reproduced from the DVSA inspection manual under the Open Government Licence. Frequencies are items per 100 failed class 4 tests across the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset; a clause with no figure was not recorded often enough to appear in any model’s top forty failure items. 3 of 6 clauses link to our own explanation.

Grading

What the categories mean

Dangerous
a direct and immediate risk to road safety or the environment. The vehicle fails and must not be driven until repaired, even to a garage.
Major
a defect that affects safety, the environment or other road users. The vehicle fails.
Minor
a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes.

The full guide to defect grading

Section 5

Other sub-sections of axles, wheels, tyres and suspension

All sections of the manual

Common questions

What does 5.2.2 mean on an MOT certificate?
It refers to sub-section 5.2.2 of the MOT inspection manual, "Road wheel condition", within section 5, axles, wheels, tyres and suspension. The letter or letters after it — (a), (b)(i) and so on — identify the specific defect from the 6 listed here. 3 of them are graded Dangerous, 3 Major and 0 Minor.
Which road wheel condition defect is recorded most often?
"Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel" (5.2.2 (a)), recorded about 0.2 times per 100 failed MOT tests nationally. We explain what it means and what puts it right.
Does a Minor defect fail the MOT?
No. a defect with no significant effect on safety or the environment. Recorded on the certificate; the vehicle passes. Major and Dangerous defects fail. A Dangerous defect also means the car must not be driven until it is repaired.