The short answer
Across every car first used in 2022 and tested in 2025, 88.5% passed the first MOT first time (1,765,878 first tests), which is about 7 in 8. The eight popular models below ranged between 85.9% and 92.4%. Seven of the eight sat above the national figure and one sat below it. At three years old the model tells you less than the car in front of you does: the single MOT record, the mileage on the clock and the condition of the tyres carry more information than any average.
The table is in order of how many were tested, not by pass rate. Pass after rectification, or PRS, means the car failed on something the tester allowed the garage to fix during the test; the certificate reads as a pass but the history shows the fault. GOV.UK counts PRS as a fail when it publishes a pass rate, and so do we.
What the data shows
| Model (first used 2022, tested 2025) | Passed | Pass after rectification | Failed outright | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Qashqai | 90.0% | 2.7% | 7.4% | 22,900 |
| Mini Hatch | 90.4% | 1.7% | 7.9% | 18,300 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 85.9% | 4.1% | 10.0% | 20,200 |
| Ford Puma | 92.4% | 2.5% | 5.1% | 20,000 |
| Kia Sportage | 88.7% | 3.6% | 7.7% | 24,900 |
| Hyundai Tucson | 89.4% | 2.9% | 7.7% | 25,100 |
| Ford Kuga | 91.9% | 1.8% | 6.3% | 24,300 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 91.9% | 1.4% | 6.7% | 26,000 |
| All cars first used 2022, tested 2025 | 88.5% | - | - | - |
The Puma, the Kuga and the Golf sit at the top of the table, and the Golf does so with the highest median mileage of the eight, so mileage alone does not set the order. The Corsa has the highest PRS share in the table: on that model about one certificate in twenty-five that reads as a pass came after a fix on the day. The Mini Hatch has the lowest median mileage of the group, which fits a car that is often a second car or a town car. The test counts behind every row are in the note at the foot of the page.
Why the first MOT is worth reading closely
A three-year-old car has had no MOT until now, so its first test is the first independent look anyone outside the owner and the servicing garage has taken at it. GOV.UK's getting an MOT page says the test is due by the third anniversary of the car's registration, so a car first used in 2022 and offered for sale this winter either has its first certificate or is about to need one. If it has not been tested, ask why, and remember that driving a car without a valid MOT can bring a fine of up to £1,000 unless you are driving to a pre-arranged test.
The first test is also where the first wear items show. Tyres fitted at the factory are often at or near the end of their life at this age and mileage, and the first advisory on a brake pad or a wiper blade tends to appear here. A clean first test with no advisories is common at three years old, which is exactly why one with a list of them deserves a second look.
What to check on a car at its first MOT
- The MOT record itself. Run the registration through the free GOV.UK MOT history service. One test should show, with its date, result, recorded mileage and any advisories. If the car is over three years old and nothing shows, it has not been tested.
- Any PRS. The history shows pass after rectification where it happened. Ask what was fixed and whether there is a receipt. On a car this young it is usually a bulb, a blade or a tyre; a brake item is a conversation about how the car has been looked after.
- The mileage against the table. The median readings above are what a typical example of each model had covered by its 2025 test. A car well below the median has been used lightly; a car well above it has earned a lower price. Neither is wrong, but the price should reflect it, and the figure should agree with the service record.
- Tyres by eye. Look at the tread across the full width and at the date codes on the sidewalls. A set of four from different makers on a three-year-old car can mean a careful owner replacing them one at a time or a hard life; ask which.
- The service book or digital record. At three years most cars have had two or three services. Gaps matter more at this age than later, because the first owner's habits are the whole history.
- The test date against your plans. If the first test is due within weeks of your purchase, ask for it to be done before you pay, or price in the chance of a first advisory list.
What this does not mean
Pass rates describe fleets, not individual cars. A Corsa at the bottom of this table is far more likely than not to pass its first test cleanly, and a Puma at the top can still fail on a worn tyre. The data records what was found at the test, never why, so no figure here says anything about how any of these cars was built, and the gaps between the eight are small. The table covers one first-used year and one test year, chosen so that every row is at the same age; a different year would put the models in a different order.
The mileage column is a median: half the tested cars of that model had covered more and half less. It is a reference point for judging the car in front of you, not a figure any one car should match.
Frequently asked questions
On pass rates alone, yes: about 7 in 8 cars first used in 2022 passed their first MOT in 2025, and the eight popular models here sat within a narrow band of each other. The five-year-old and ten-year-old groups we looked at this month spread wider as the cars aged. The price is the trade-off, and the individual car's record matters more than the model's average at any age.
The data does not say. It records what was found at the test, not why, and the causes on any car include mileage, how it has been used and maintained, and who owned it. Two cohorts of a popular small car sitting at the lower end of a narrow table is a description of two fleets in two years, not a verdict on the model, and most of those cars passed first time.
The car failed on an item the tester allowed the garage to fix during the test, so the certificate shows a pass but the history records the fault. At three years old it is most often a bulb, a wiper blade or a tyre at the limit. It matters because the certificate alone would hide it, which is why we count it as a fail when we quote a pass rate, as GOV.UK does.
No. A car can be sold without a current MOT, but it cannot legally be driven on the road without one once it is three years old, except to a pre-arranged test. If a 2022 car is being sold without its first certificate, ask why, and either have the test done before you pay or arrange to collect it on a trailer or by trade plates.
Sources and method
Class 4 first tests in test year 2025 on cars first used in 2022, for eight models grouped across all trims by SortedCars' model tables, each beside the national figure for every car first used in 2022 and tested in 2025 (1,765,878 tests, 88.5% passed). Pass rate is passes divided by first tests with pass after rectification counted as a fail; the PRS and outright-fail columns split the remainder. Model bases (first tests): Nissan Qashqai 43,225; Mini Hatch 38,861; Vauxhall Corsa 36,396; Ford Puma 35,337; Kia Sportage 29,329; Hyundai Tucson 27,727; Ford Kuga 26,462; Volkswagen Golf 25,734. Median odometer readings are rounded to the nearest 100 (Qashqai 22,871.5; Mini Hatch 18,346; Corsa 20,192; Puma 20,039; Sportage 24,873.5; Tucson 25,107; Kuga 24,280.5; Golf 26,001). GOV.UK page wording as read on 6 November 2026.
- DVSA anonymised MOT results, class 4 first tests, 2021-2025
- GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle
- GOV.UK: Getting an MOT
About these figures. Figures are computed by SortedCars from the DVSA anonymised MOT results dataset (class 4, first tests only, test years 2021-2025), published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Pass rate = passes divided by first tests, with pass-after-rectification counted as a fail. No figure is shown for any group with fewer than 500 tests. Test class 4 only, first tests only; retests are excluded. 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. Alias spellings of a make are counted under one make name and all trims of a model under one model name, using SortedCars' grouping tables.
This article is general information drawn from published test records. It is not professional, mechanical or legal advice, and an MOT pass or a clean MOT history does not guarantee that a car is roadworthy today. If you are unsure about a car, have it inspected by a qualified mechanic. You can check any vehicle's MOT history free on the official GOV.UK MOT history service.
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