The short answer
Across all gated models first used in 2008 to 2011, about 1 in 10 first tests (10.4% of 29,579,761 tests, 2021 to 2025) failed with at least one item in the lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment family. The model at the top of the list, the Renault Clio of those years, was at about 1 in 6 (16.9%). Every row in the table is above the national figure, which is what a top-ten list means; the gap between the top and the bottom of the table is two and a half percentage points, and the gap between the table and the country is bigger than that.
These cars are now fifteen to eighteen years old. A lighting fail on a car of that age is usually a bulb, a lens, a connector or a headlamp that has drifted out of aim, and almost all of it can be found before the test. The MOT history will show whether the car you are looking at has had lighting items recorded before.
How to read this table
Share of tests is the share of all first tests on that model, first used in those years, that failed with a lighting or electrical item. It is the only column the ranking uses and the only one you can compare between models. Share of that model's fails says how much of its failures were lighting; a model that rarely fails except on lights would score high there and low on share of tests, so it is context, not a ranking. Years included is how many of the four first-used years cleared the 500-test floor for that model. A row resting on one year is thin evidence, and one row here does.
What the data shows
| Model (first used 2008-2011) | Share of tests failing with a lighting or electrical item | Share of that model's fails | Years included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renault Clio | 16.9% | 38.9% | 4 |
| Citroen Grand C4 Picasso | 15.6% | 38.9% | 3 |
| Honda Civic | 15.5% | 47.3% | 4 |
| Kia Ceed | 15.2% | 40.2% | 4 |
| Peugeot 5008 | 15.1% | 38.1% | 2 |
| Vauxhall Antara | 15.0% | 38.6% | 1 |
| Peugeot 207 | 14.5% | 37.1% | 4 |
| Peugeot 3008 | 14.5% | 38.1% | 3 |
| Citroen DS3 | 14.5% | 36.1% | 2 |
| Nissan Note | 14.4% | 44.0% | 4 |
| All gated models, 2008-2011 | 10.4% | 32.5% | - |
The Antara row rests on one first-used year and a few thousand tests, and the 5008 and DS3 rows on two years each, so treat those three as indications. The Clio, Civic, 207 and Note rows each stand on hundreds of thousands of tests, so their positions are well established. Nationally, 39.7% of first tests on this cohort failed for any reason, and lamps featured in 32.5% of those fails. The test counts behind every row are in the note at the foot of the page.
What a lighting fail usually is
The MOT inspection manual treats a headlamp, position lamp, indicator or stop lamp that is missing or not working as a major defect, which fails the test. Headlamp aim outside the limits is also major, and so is a seriously defective reflector or lens; a slightly defective lens is only a minor. If every stop lamp is out the defect is dangerous. The family also covers the battery, which fails if it is leaking or insecure enough to fall or short, and the rear number plate lamp, which is a major fail when the plate has only one lamp.
None of that is exotic on a car of this age. Bulbs reach the end of their life, lenses yellow and craze, earth points corrode, and a headlamp that has been knocked or had a bulb changed can sit out of aim without the driver noticing from the seat.
What to check before the dark evenings
- Walk round with everything on. Sidelights, dipped and main beam, both indicators front and rear, hazards, reversing lamp, rear fog lamp and the number plate lamp. Have someone press the brake pedal while you watch the back. The Highway Code says sidelights and the rear plate lights must be lit between sunset and sunrise, and headlights used whenever you cannot see more than 100 metres.
- Look at the lenses, not just the bulbs. A clouded or cracked headlamp lens that dims the beam is a major defect in the manual. The Highway Code also says lights must be clean before you set off; winter road film cuts a headlamp's output more than most drivers expect.
- Check the aim against a wall. Park square to a garage door or wall at dusk and look at the two dipped-beam cut-offs. If one sits visibly higher or lower than the other, ask a garage to set the aim before the test.
- Open the bonnet. A battery clamp that has rusted away lets the battery move, and a wet, white-crusted terminal suggests a leak; both are on the inspection list.
- Read the history. Look through the MOT history for lighting items that come back year after year; they point to a connector or earth fault rather than a bulb, which is worth a question to the seller.
What this does not mean
A place in this table is a fact about a fleet of cars, not about the one on the drive in front of you. The highest row here still passed its lighting inspection far more often than not, and the cars that failed did so for reasons the data does not record: age, mileage, where they were kept, how they were maintained, and whether anyone looked at the lights before the test. MOT results say what was found on the day. They do not say why, and they do not predict the next test for any single car. A well-kept example of any model on this list can pass; a neglected example of a model that is not on it can fail. Use the table to decide what to check, not which car to walk past.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if it is a headlamp, sidelight, indicator, stop lamp or the only rear number plate lamp. The MOT inspection manual classes a lamp that is missing or not working as a major defect, which fails the test. On an LED unit with several light sources, up to half not working is a minor, more than half is a major.
The data does not record causes. What it shows is that the lamps, reflectors and electrical family featured in about a third of the fails on 2008-2011 cars tested in 2021 to 2025. On cars of this age bulbs, lenses, connectors and headlamp aim all have fifteen or more years behind them, and a lighting fault is also the one owners most often miss from the driving seat.
No. It tells you what that model's fails were made of. A model that rarely fails but does so on lights when it does would show a high share of fails and a low share of tests. The ranking uses share of tests, which is the share of all tests on the model that failed with a lighting item, and that is the column to compare.
The table is not advice about any model. It says which fleets recorded lighting items most often at this age and how many tests sit behind each figure. For a particular car, read its MOT history, walk round it with the lights on, and judge it on its own record and condition.
Sources and method
Models first used 2008-2011 with 500 or more class 4 first tests per first-used year, ordered by the share of all first tests (2021-2025 pooled) that failed with at least one item in the lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment family. The share of fails is the same count divided by the model's fails and is shown for context only. The national row covers every gated model in the cohort, including van-like model names: 29,579,761 tests, 9,471,108 fails, 3,074,012 failing with a lamps or electrical item. Van, pickup and motorhome model names are excluded from the ranked rows; passenger people carriers are kept. Model bases (first tests): Renault Clio 401,562; Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 19,657; Honda Civic 359,145; Kia Ceed 145,134; Peugeot 5008 21,347; Vauxhall Antara 4,561; Peugeot 207 527,632; Peugeot 3008 101,324; Citroen DS3 68,116; Nissan Note 287,918. Highway Code and inspection manual wording from the GOV.UK pages as read on 3 November 2026.
- DVSA anonymised MOT results, class 4 first tests, 2021-2025
- GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 4, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
- GOV.UK: The Highway Code, rules 103 to 158 (lights, rule 113)
- GOV.UK: The Highway Code, driving in adverse weather conditions (rules 226 to 237)
- GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle
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.
Check a car's MOT history free
Enter a registration to see its DVLA record and full MOT history, free, no sign-in.