MOT pass rates in Sunderland

110,609 cars took a first MOT at test centres in the SR postcode area in 2025. The SR postcode area covers Sunderland and the towns around it — Seaham and Peterlee among them. How the cars did, what they failed on, and what the area drives — computed from the official DVSA record. Figures describe tests done in this area, wherever the cars live.

Pass rate 2025
69.5%
2.8 points below the class-4 average (72.3%); reflects the mix of cars tested here
Tests analysed
110,609
first tests, 2025
Average car age at test
9.8 yrs
national average 10.7 yrs
Arrived with a dangerous fault
9.4%
of SR-area first tests; national 7.3%

How Sunderland compares

Ranks and comparisons cover the 116 postcode areas with 20,000 or more first tests in 2025 — the full field at that floor; DVSA merges its smallest areas into one shared code, which is excluded. Location is always the test centre's postcode area, not where any car is kept. Ranks are unadjusted for the age and mix of each area's fleet — they say where an area sits, not why. Areas are often separated by a fraction of a year or a fraction of a point: each rank is exact on the data, but neighbouring ranks can be effectively level.

Pass rate rank
#91 highest
69.5% of first tests passed, of the 116 areas
Fleet age
#102 oldest
average 9.8 yrs at test, of the 116 areas
Electric share
#82 highest
1.6% of first tests were electric cars, of the 116 areas
Tests done
#107 busiest
110,609 first tests in 2025, of the 116 areas

The area's signature make

Of the twelve most-tested makes at SR-area test centres, Citroen is the one tested furthest above its national share: 5.2% of SR-area first tests against 3.0% of tests nationally — 1.8 times its national rate. That is a fact about what the area drives, not a claim about the make.

Sunderland and its neighbours

Sunderland and three neighbouring postcode areas, 2025. Pass rates are unadjusted for fleet age and mix.

AreaFirst tests Pass rateAvg ageElectric
SR (Sunderland)110,60969.5%9.8 yrs1.6%
DH (Durham)165,41273.7%10.0 yrs1.7%
NE (Newcastle upon Tyne)556,80973.2%9.9 yrs2.0%
TS (Cleveland)308,13871.6%10.2 yrs1.5%

Pass rate by car age — SR area vs national

First-time pass rate by vehicle age, 2025.

Sunderland (SR) areaAll of Britain
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)SR area, vehicle age 3: 88.7%SR area, vehicle age 4: 88.2%SR area, vehicle age 5: 86.2%SR area, vehicle age 6: 81.9%SR area, vehicle age 7: 76.9%SR area, vehicle age 8: 74.3%SR area, vehicle age 9: 69.1%SR area, vehicle age 10: 65.6%SR area, vehicle age 11: 61.8%SR area, vehicle age 12: 58.8%SR area, vehicle age 13: 55.3%SR area, vehicle age 14: 54.3%SR area, vehicle age 15: 53.8%SR area, vehicle age 16: 51.3%SR area, vehicle age 17: 51.9%SR area, vehicle age 18: 52.1%SR area, vehicle age 19: 52.3%SR area, vehicle age 20: 52.3%All of Britain, vehicle age 3: 88.5%All of Britain, vehicle age 4: 87.2%All of Britain, vehicle age 5: 86%All of Britain, vehicle age 6: 83.5%All of Britain, vehicle age 7: 80.9%All of Britain, vehicle age 8: 78.2%All of Britain, vehicle age 9: 74.9%All of Britain, vehicle age 10: 71.9%All of Britain, vehicle age 11: 68.6%All of Britain, vehicle age 12: 65.8%All of Britain, vehicle age 13: 63.5%All of Britain, vehicle age 14: 61.2%All of Britain, vehicle age 15: 59.3%All of Britain, vehicle age 16: 58.3%All of Britain, vehicle age 17: 57.2%All of Britain, vehicle age 18: 57.4%All of Britain, vehicle age 19: 57%All of Britain, vehicle age 20: 57.6%All of Britain 57.6%SR area 52.3%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)SR area testsSR area pass rateAll cars
37,37688.7%88.5%
46,74988.2%87.2%
56,37286.2%86.0%
68,82681.9%83.5%
78,82276.9%80.9%
89,34974.3%78.2%
99,79569.1%74.9%
109,51865.6%71.9%
118,72961.8%68.6%
127,10758.8%65.8%
135,68755.3%63.5%
144,62854.3%61.2%
154,23453.8%59.3%
163,31251.3%58.3%
172,48251.9%57.2%
182,04152.1%57.4%
191,42952.3%57.0%
2095452.3%57.6%

Better or worse than the national average?

The SR area's pass rate minus the national pass rate at each car age, in percentage points. Bars above zero: SR-area tests beat the national average for that age. Below zero: they trail.

SR area aheadSR area behind
-10-5+0+5+10Age 3: +0.2 points vs the average car3Age 4: +1.0 points vs the average carAge 5: +0.2 points vs the average car5Age 6: -1.6 points vs the average carAge 7: -4.0 points vs the average car7Age 8: -3.9 points vs the average carAge 9: -5.8 points vs the average car9Age 10: -6.3 points vs the average carAge 11: -6.8 points vs the average car11Age 12: -7.0 points vs the average carAge 13: -8.2 points vs the average car13Age 14: -6.9 points vs the average carAge 15: -5.5 points vs the average car15Age 16: -7.0 points vs the average carAge 17: -5.3 points vs the average car17Age 18: -5.3 points vs the average carAge 19: -4.7 points vs the average car19Age 20: -5.3 points vs the average car20Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
3+0.2
4+1.0
5+0.2
6-1.6
7-4.0
8-3.9
9-5.8
10-6.3
11-6.8
12-7.0
13-8.2
14-6.9
15-5.5
16-7.0
17-5.3
18-5.3
19-4.7
20-5.3

The cars tested around Sunderland, by age

How many cars of each age took a first MOT at SR-area test centres in 2025 — the age profile of what the area actually drives.

02k5k7k10kAge 3: 7k3Age 4: 6kAge 5: 6k5Age 6: 8kAge 7: 8k7Age 8: 9kAge 9: 9k9Age 10: 9kAge 11: 8k11Age 12: 7kAge 13: 5k13Age 14: 4kAge 15: 4k15Age 16: 3kAge 17: 2k17Age 18: 2kAge 19: 1k19Age 20: 95420Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
37,376
46,749
56,372
68,826
78,822
89,349
99,795
109,518
118,729
127,107
135,687
144,628
154,234
163,312
172,482
182,041
191,429
20954

What cars fail on around Sunderland

Where the failure items land for tests done in the SR area, 2025.

Suspension24.3%
Brakes21.4%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment17.1%
Tyres11.4%
Body, chassis, structure7.8%
Visibility6.9%
Noise, emissions and leaks4.6%
Steering4.1%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (97.6% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

Where testers most often write "keep an eye on this" in the SR area, 2025 — the faults in the post.

Tyres: 33.1% of advisories33.1%Brakes: 32.4% of advisories32.4%Suspension: 19.9% of advisories19.9%Non-component advisories: 4.4% of advisoriesBody, chassis, structure: 3.5% of advisoriesNoise, emissions and leaks: 3.1% of advisories
TyresBrakesSuspensionNon-component advisoriesBody, chassis, structureNoise, emissions and leaks
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Tyres33.1%
Brakes32.4%
Suspension19.9%
Non-component advisories4.4%
Body, chassis, structure3.5%
Noise, emissions and leaks3.1%

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric?

First-time pass rate for the four most-tested fuel types in the SR area, 2025, against the national all-cars average. Fleet ages differ by fuel — newer fleets help the electrified bars.

50%60%70%80%90%100%all cars 72.3%Petrol: 70.0% of 57,113 tests70.0%Petrol57,113 testsDiesel: 66.3% of 46,617 tests66.3%Diesel46,617 testsHybrid electric: 89.4% of 4,691 tests89.4%Hybrid4,691 testsElectric: 84.0% of 1,786 tests84.0%Electric1,786 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Petrol57,11370.0%
Diesel46,61766.3%
Hybrid electric4,69189.4%
Electric1,78684.0%

What mileage is normal around Sunderland?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, SR-area tests, 2025. The line is the typical (median) car; the shaded band holds the middle half.

Typical car, SR area (median)
0k25k50k75k100k125k150k3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Age 3: typical 23,750 miles (middle half 16,250–31,250)Age 4: typical 31,250 miles (middle half 21,250–41,250)Age 5: typical 36,250 miles (middle half 26,250–48,750)Age 6: typical 43,750 miles (middle half 31,250–56,250)Age 7: typical 51,250 miles (middle half 36,250–66,250)Age 8: typical 58,750 miles (middle half 43,750–76,250)Age 9: typical 66,250 miles (middle half 48,750–86,250)Age 10: typical 73,750 miles (middle half 53,750–96,250)Age 11: typical 81,250 miles (middle half 61,250–106,250)Age 12: typical 88,750 miles (middle half 66,250–113,750)Age 13: typical 93,750 miles (middle half 71,250–118,750)Age 14: typical 101,250 miles (middle half 76,250–128,750)Age 15: typical 101,250 miles (middle half 76,250–128,750)Age 16: typical 101,250 miles (middle half 73,750–131,250)Age 17: typical 106,250 miles (middle half 78,750–133,750)Age 18: typical 108,750 miles (middle half 81,250–138,750)Age 19: typical 103,750 miles (middle half 76,250–136,250)Age 20: typical 101,250 miles (middle half 73,750–138,750)101k mi

Mileage values are midpoints of 2,500-mile bands.

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
316,25023,75031,250
421,25031,25041,250
526,25036,25048,750
631,25043,75056,250
736,25051,25066,250
843,75058,75076,250
948,75066,25086,250
1053,75073,75096,250
1161,25081,250106,250
1266,25088,750113,750
1371,25093,750118,750
1476,250101,250128,750
1576,250101,250128,750
1673,750101,250131,250
1778,750106,250133,750
1881,250108,750138,750
1976,250103,750136,250
2073,750101,250138,750

What the SR area drives

The 12 most-tested makes at SR-area test centres, 2025, ordered by how many were tested — not a pass-rate league. Pass rates are unadjusted for fleet age: a make whose cars round here run older sits lower for that reason alone.

MakeTests 2025 Pass rate
Ford11,71464.7%
Vauxhall11,47563.2%
Nissan9,08263.3%
Volkswagen8,95372.3%
Audi7,29877.2%
Mercedes-Benz6,28074.1%
Citroen5,75062.7%
Toyota5,19174.7%
BMW4,51177.4%
Renault4,25158.4%
Peugeot4,02360.0%
Hyundai3,92375.2%

MOT test centres in the SR area

80 DVSA-approved MOT test stations across the SR postcode area, 73 of them approved for cars (class 4). Grouped by town, largest first. Classes: 1–2 motorcycles, 3 three-wheelers, 4 cars and small vans, 5 minibuses, 7 vans 3,000–3,500 kg.

CentreAddressPhoneClasses
Sunderland — 58 centres
Arnold ClarkTrafford Road, Southwick, SR5 2DA01915 4888114
Auto Tune (sunderland) LtdUnit 3, Old Fulwell Road, SR6 0HR01915 6770441, 2
Bristol Street MotorsAlexandra Avenue, Hylton Riverside, SR5 2TB01915 4890904, 7
Britannia Autocentres Ltd3 Boldon Lane, Cleadon, SR6 7RH01915 3653134
C&c Discount Motor Parts86 Toward Road, Hendon, SR2 8JF01915 1093384, 7
Car Maintenance1 Havelock Street, SR1 2BD01915 6792434, 5, 7
Cartec Service CentreUnit C, The Parade, Hendon, SR2 8NT01915 1022874, 7
Castletown Mot CentreOswald Terrace West, Castletown, SR5 3BH01915 1607784
City Auto Solutions LtdUnit 16b, Southwick Industrial Estate, SR5 3TX01915 1697054, 7
Cliffs Service Station17 Hemming Street, Grangetown, SR2 9RH01915 1020004
Coast Road GarageMill Lane, Whitburn, SR6 7LZ01915 2932404
Croxdale Fast-Fit LtdRyhope Road Service Station, Ryhope Road, SR2 9SX01915 6789884
Darvin Motors14 Hay Street, SR5 1BG01915 6790261, 2, 3, 4
East Boldon MotorsNewcastle Road, Cleadon, SR5 1RP01913 4005724
Eastend MotsUnit 7, Henry Street, Hendon, SR2 8AU01915 6530394, 5, 7
Evans Halshaw (sunderland Nissan)Wessington Way, SR5 3RL01915 3704004
Evans Halshaw Nissan Prep CentreRiverside Road, Southwick, SR5 3JG01915 4997624, 7
Fast Stop Brake CentreUnit 8 The Parade, Hendon, SR2 8NT01915 1092534
Forge GarageRyhope Road, Ryhope Village, SR2 0NH01915 2102144
Four Lane Cars LtdUnit 1, Hendon Street, SR1 2NF07481 4855164
Frasers Auto RepairsUnits 2-3, Henry Street East, Hendon, SR2 8AU01915 1417441, 2, 4
Gordon Burnett Motor EngineersUnit 2, 130 High Street, SR1 1UD01915 6765644
Halfords AutocentreInkerman Street, SR5 2BN01915 4826114, 5, 7
Hi Performance 2Barnes Park Service Station, Durham Road, SR3 4AA01915 2255524
Hi Performance Auto Centre2 Roker Avenue, SR6 0BY01915 1435184
Hylton Road Autocentre Ltd100-106 Hylton Road, SR4 7BB01915 651661Not listed
Johnson & Browne Garage Services42-44 North Bridge Street, SR5 1AH01913 4000724
Kwik - FitMonk Street / Newcastle Road, SR6 0DB01915 6732844
Kwik Fit44 Borough Road, SR1 1PL01915 6757474
Les Potts 4 Wheel Drive Ltd21 Sandmere Road, Leechmere Industrial Estate, SR2 9TP01915 2144014, 5, 7
Lookers Nissan Sunderland8 Newcastle Road, Monkwearmouth, SR5 1JQ01915 6456005
Maine Road GarageUnit 25 Southwick Industrial Estate, Riverside Road, SR5 3JG01915 4995801, 2, 4
Mayfair Service StationDurham Road, SR2 7PD01915 6764624
Mercedes Benz Of SunderlandHylton Grange, Wessington Way, SR5 3HR01915 1603034
Mje Auto Technician & Recovery39 Little Villiers Street, SR1 1HA01915 6735534
Monkwearmouth Motor Company Limited27 Zetland Street, Monkwearmouth, SR6 0EQ01915 6578754
North East Ambulance Service Unified Solutions Limited16-32 Luxembourg Road, Pallion West Industrial Estate, SR4 6SJ01915 6643664, 7
ParkersOcean Road Garage, Ocean Road, Grangetown, SR2 9RZ01915 6722743, 4
Parkes Auto Electrics11 Church Street East, SR1 2BB01915 6799504
Patton's Auto CentreUnit 2 Henry Street East, Hendon, SR2 8AU01915 6526001, 2, 4
Paul OconnorMayfair Buildings, Durham Road, SR2 7PD01915 6595861, 2, 4, 7
Pulman SeatBurntland Avenue, Southwick, SR5 2ET01915 4929264
Pulman VolkswagonNewcastle Road, SR5 1QE01915 4802354
S G Petch LtdCastle View, Castletown, SR5 3AH01918 1555554
Scots Bank Motor ServicesScots Bank, Southwick, SR5 2BG01915 4975004
Shaws MotorsUnit 1, Pottery Road, Low Southwick, SR5 2BP01915 4983844, 5, 7
SherwoodsFerryboat Lane, SR5 3JN01915 168822Not listed
StoneacreNewcastle Road, SR5 1JE01916 3991317
StoneacreCastle Town Way, Riverside Road, Southwick, SR5 3JG01642 8080004
Sunderland Mot Centre LtdPallion Road Garage, SR4 6ND01915 1412004
Sunderland Tyre & Exhaust5-7 The Parade, Hendon, SR2 8NT01915 6400011, 2, 4, 7
Sure Vehicle CentrePallion New Road, SR4 6UA07588 7282284
The Garage & MotsUnit 24, North Hylton Enterprise Park, Hepworth Road, SR5 3JT01915 4937841, 2, 4, 7
The Garage On The Green Test CentreRyhope Village, SR2 0QP01915 2383014
Thirkells Of SunderlandStobart Street, SR5 1BW01915 6722084, 5, 7
Thompsons Mot Centre36 To 38 Wear Street, Low Southwick, SR5 2BH01915 4815094
Vertu Hyundai SunderlandWessington Way, Castletown, SR5 3NX01915 1600994
Wearside AudiNewcastle Road, SR5 1JQ01915 6372004
Peterlee — 8 centres
Car Clinic Peterlee Ltd11 Davy Drive, North West Industrial Estate, SR8 2JF01915 6933334
David Sykes SuperbikesCotsford Lane, Horden, SR8 4JJ01915 8645891, 2
Durham County CouncilMain Repair Depot, Hackworth Road, North West Industrial Estate, SR8 2JQ03000 2641034, 5, 7
Motor Tech (shotton) Ltd23a Bracken Hill, South West Industrial Estate, SR8 2LS01915 911396Not listed
North East Auto ServicesEssington Way, SR8 5AZ01915 8700041, 2, 4, 5, 7
P A T S Mots (horden) Ltd3 Phoenix Workshops, Blackhills Road, Horden, SR8 4LG01915 1810014, 7
Pat Lavery Tyre & Exhaust Centre LtdBlackhills Road, Horden, SR8 4LG01915 1849374, 7
Southside Service StationYoden Way, SR8 1AR01915 8662714
Seaham — 7 centres
A T MotorsBankhead Street, SR7 0BP01915 8131821, 2, 4
D.h Car Sales (ne) LtdUnit 1-4, Kingfisher Industrial Estate, SR7 0AY01915 8114794
Dalton MotorsSite 4, Unit 8, Cold Hesledon Industrial Estate, SR7 8ST07875 3945594, 7
Ferguson Motor Repairs LtdMary Street, SR7 7JT01915 8192324, 7
Joseph Metcalf & SonsMoor Road Garage, East Moor Road, Murton, SR7 9DA01915 2630694
North East Autoservices SeahamSouth Terrace, SR7 7HN01915 8118214
Seaham Auto Services21 Tempest Road, SR7 7AX01915 8132084
Co Durham — 3 centres
Brackenhill Autos Ltd29 Brackenhill, South West Industrial Estate, Peterlee, SR8 2LS07557 9575984, 7
Bristol Street Motors Peterlee3 Mill Hill, North West Industrial Estate, Peterlee, SR8 2HR01915 1859994
George Street GarageGeorge Street Industrial Estate, Seaham, SR7 7SL01915 8180774
County Durham — 1 centre
Ashcrofts Car CentreStrangford Road, Seaham, SR7 8QE01915 1316254
Durham — 1 centre
Tommys Auto Services13 Davy Drive, North Wst Industrial Estate, Peterlee, SR8 2JF01915 6936544
Easington — 1 centre
Club MotorsOld Drill Hall, Seaside Lane, SR8 3DY01915 2706494
Murton — 1 centre
S & M MotorsMurton Village Service Station, Station Road, SR7 9RN01915 2667674

Source: DVSA Active MOT test stations (Open Government Licence v3.0), release of 26 February 2026. Listing here means DVSA approves the station for the classes shown; it is not a recommendation, and we publish no per-garage pass rates. Some stations are sole traders, so an address may be a home address — we show it because DVSA publishes it as the approved test site. Run a test station and want your entry corrected or removed? Email [email protected] and we will act within 7 days.

How these figures are computed. Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from the DVSA anonymised MOT results dataset (every MOT test in Great Britain — 2025 for single-year figures; trend figures state their span, currently 2023–2025). Where a figure comes from a sample or uses banded values (mileage is banded to 2,500 miles), the page says so beside the figure. Test class 4 only, first tests only — retests are excluded. Class 4 is the car MOT class and also covers car-derived vans, pickups and motorhomes tested to the same standard; where this page says "cars" it means class 4. Pass rate = passes ÷ (passes + failures + pass-after-rectification): a vehicle that failed and was fixed during the visit counts as a fail. Pass rates describe fleets, not individual machines: they reflect how cars were driven, maintained and used as well as how they were built, and beyond recorded mileage none of that is in the data. A well-kept example of a model with a weak average can still pass; a neglected example of a strong one can still fail. No figure is shown for any group with fewer than 500 tests. Location is the test centre's postcode area, not where any car is kept. Alias spellings of a make in the DVSA file are counted under one make name, using SortedCars' grouping tables. “Dangerous” is DVSA's statutory defect category (in force since May 2018): a defect posing an immediate risk to road safety — driving the vehicle before repair is an offence. What these figures are for. These statistics are general information about groups of vehicles. They are not advice, a valuation or a recommendation to buy, avoid or price any particular vehicle, and no decision about one car should rest on them alone — check the car itself and its own records. We take care over the calculations, but we cannot guarantee they are complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for loss arising from reliance on them. This does not limit any liability that cannot lawfully be limited — see our Terms & Conditions. If you believe any figure on this page is inaccurate, contact us. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the DVSA or DVLA. DVSA publishes the raw test records; the statistics on this page are SortedCars' own calculations from them. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.