According to figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request submitted by eBay to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), over one million cars failed their MOT between June 2024 and June 2025 due to worn-out tyres with tread below the legal minimum of 1.6mm.
Suspension issues were another common reason for failure, with broken springs alone responsible for more than 821,000 failures. But it wasn’t just suspension damage that was found; in some cases, entire parts were missing. A total of 394 cars failed with missing springs, while 20 were found without a suspension arm, and 14 had no MacPherson struts at all.
Other issues were more immediately obvious. Around 3,485 vehicles failed for lacking a wiper blade, while 61 were fitted with mismatched headlights.
eBay, which runs the My Garage tool allowing users to input their vehicle registration and find compatible parts, highlighted how simple oversights continue to trip up drivers.
“Too many motorists are failing MOTs for avoidable reasons – from worn tyres to something as basic as a missing wiper blade.”
Abir Tewari, UK Director of Commercial Operations for Parts & Accessories at eBay
The data, covering over 18 million MOT failures, showed brakes were another common problem area. More than 768,000 failures were linked to brake pads worn below 1.5mm. There were also 265 instances where brake performance caused the car to swerve, and 516 failures due to tampered or cut seatbelt webbing.
Tyre-related issues continued beyond tread depth: 414 vehicles failed for having mismatched tyre sizes on the same axle, and eight for tyres with speed ratings too low for their car. This is a serious oversight that can lead to blowouts.
Most Common MOT Failure Categories (June 2024 – June 2025):
| Category | Total Failures | Top Issue | Failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 4,917,714 | Fractured/Broken Springs | 821,911 |
| Electrical/Lights | 4,550,208 | Non-working Position Lamps | 767,167 |
| Brakes | 4,119,090 | Brake Pads <1.5mm | 768,436 |
| Tyres | 3,079,882 | Tread Depth <1.6mm | 1,081,318 |
| Body/Structure | 1,584,075 | Split/Insecure CV Boot | 556,211 |
To help reduce these failures, eBay is currently offering 20% off selected MOT parts until 31st October, and backs all purchases with an Assured Fit guarantee, offering free returns and refunds if parts don’t match the vehicle.
Read more automotive industry news
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.