Wipers and washers most common causes of MOT failures

By Fleet News

21 July 2017

The most common cause of MOT failures is windscreen wiper and washer-related issues, according to new research by AA Garage Guide.

The AA’s MOT, repairs and car servicing garage finder analysed 146,000 MOT records of UK-registered vehicles owned by AA members in May and June this year,.

Suspension problems and registration plate bulb failure were also found that problems with the suspension and registration plate bulbs also topped the list.

AA Garage Guide says eight of the 10 most common MOT points can be easily identified and resolved through pre-MOT checks.

The following table shows the 10 most common causes for MOT failure:

CODE	FAILURE ITEM
8.2	Wipers and washers	Yes
2.4.G	Suspension arms and linkages, sub frames etc	No
1.1.C	Registration plate bulb	Yes
1.1.A	Front and rear position bulb	Yes
4.1.E	Tyre tread – pattern, breadth and depth	Yes
1.2	Brake light	Yes
1.8	Headlamp Aim	Yes
2.4.C.1a	Suspension - Coil springs	No
1.7	Headlamps	Yes
4.1.D	Condition of tyres	Yes

Source: AA

Across the country, more than four in 10 (44.3%) cars failed their last MOT test.

Drivers in the seaside town of Great Yarmouth suffered the highest MOT failure rate in the whole country, with more than half (53.8%) failing their last MOT, while motorists in Weston-Super-Mare (52.6%) and Edinburgh (51.8%) also experienced worryingly high failure rates.

The table shows the 10 towns and cities in the UK with the highest MOT failure rates (looking at the last MOT).

TOWN/CITY	% vehicles that failed last MOT
GREAT YARMOUTH	53.8%
WESTON-SUPER-MARE	52.6%
EDINBURGH	51.8%
BOURNEMOUTH	50.8%
DUNFERMLINE	50.8%
HULL	50.2%
SHREWSBURY	49.9%
ABERDEEN	49.4%
EXETER	48.9%
NEWPORT	49.3%

Source: AA

Olli Astley, director at AA Garage Guide, said: “There are countless numbers of potential reasons for vehicles failing their MOT, but it’s shocking to see that the number one cause identified came down to the humble windscreen wipers and washers.

“An empty screen wash or smearing wipers are easy to spot – and fix – at home ahead of the statutory roadworthiness test, so there’s really no excuse for failing on such an easily solvable problem.

“Tyres and headlights have also been highlighted as popular problem areas and are therefore worth checking in advance of your car’s MOT. Make sure that your tyre pressures are correct and that wear across the whole of the tyre surface isn’t below the 1.6mm legal minimum, and that any blown lights are replaced.

“You should make sure you’ve addressed any previous ‘advisories’ – that’s the maintenance work recommended by the garage during your car’s last MOT."