The most common reason motorists fail their MOT test has been unveiled with road users at risk of paying heavy fines and even invalidating their car insurance agreement if caught out.
The overall condition of a vehicle is the issue most motorists fail to pass with around eight percent of all failures down to this one problem.
Failure to keep on top of car maintenance can dramatically backfire as vehicles run the risk of being considered “dangerous” and against the law.
This is where motorists could become unstuck with potentially major issues for drivers alongside failing to get their MOT certificate renewed.
Connor Campbell, expert at Independent Advisor Car Insurance, warned vehicles could be considered “non-roadworthy” if motorists refuse to upkeep their model.
Connor added: “MOTs are an official test of car roadworthiness, and as we can see from the 2023 test data, many of these fail items are avoidable through proper car maintenance.
“Not only could you put yourself at risk of an accident by not properly maintaining your car, but you could also be slapped with police fines of up to £2,500 for driving a car in a dangerous condition – as well as having your insurance invalidated.
“The risk is even greater if your tyres are in poor condition: you can receive an individual fine for each one, potentially amounting to up to £10,000. While people often delay maintaining their car for financial or time reasons, the cost can be greater the longer these are left unattended.”
The research found issues around tyre tread depth is the second most common reason motorists do not get over the line at MOT tests, accounting for 5.2 percent of all failures.
It means more than 1.1 million vehicles are running on tread depth lower than the legal limit of 1.6mm.
Connor reacted: “As long as your tyres are above this threshold, your car is legally roadworthy. However, it is advisable to carefully monitor your tyres or have them professionally inspected if they’ve been fitted for 5 years or longer.”
Coil springs made up 4.4 percent of all failures, followed by problems with headlamp aim in 3.9 percent of all tests.
Problems around the position of the lamp and the brake pads were the joint-fifth highest issue and are recorded in around 3.8 percent of all failures.
