Guide
Does MOT pass rate mean a used car is reliable?
No. MOT pass rate is the share of recorded UK DVSA tests that passed for a make and model in an age band. It is not a reliability rating, a survey score, or a promise that the car on the forecourt will pass next year.
What the MOT data shows
CARMOTIQ groups official test outcomes by make, model and vehicle age. You can see pass rates, test counts, and how defect notes split into owner maintenance, wear and tear, and systemic wording. That helps you shortlist models before you fall for one advert.
What it does not prove
It does not prove breakdowns, servicing cost, or how one owner has treated a car. Defect notes are not vehicles and not failed tests. Mileage-banded public pages are not published here unless the serving data already supports them.
Other named sources — different jobs
- GOV.UK MOT history — one registration. Use it for the car you are about to buy.
- What Car / Honest John — owner and journalist reliability surveys. Different sample, different question.
- Warrantywise and similar indexes — often repair requests on cars that bought cover, not the national MOT population.
Do not blend those survey scores with CARMOTIQ MOT pass rates into one “reliability score”. Every Carmotiq statistic on this site is an MOT outcome.
One physical check
On the viewing, check tyre age and tread, lamps, and warning lights — the items that dominate owner-maintenance MOT notes — then get an independent inspection if the numbers still look worth it.
Next: best MOT pass rates, Compare two models, or a model report.