Lighting and electrical faults at the MOT: which 2012-2015 cars most often recorded one

The short answer

Across every model first used in 2012 to 2015, about 1 in 15 first tests failed with at least one item from the lamps, reflectors and electrical family (6.8% of 44,395,361 tests in 2021 to 2025). The models with the highest recorded shares were roughly double that. The Peugeot 5008 sits at 15.5% of its tests, the Vauxhall Antara at 15.4% and the Peugeot 207 at 14.6%. The family is wider than bulbs: it takes in headlamp aim, number plate lamps, reflectors, the battery and its mountings, wiring and the warning lamps on the dashboard.

If you own or are looking at one of the cars below, the lesson is practical. Lighting faults are the cheapest MOT fail to prevent and one of the few you can check yourself in a driveway with a helper and five minutes.

How to read this table

The ranking column is the share of all first tests on that model that failed with at least one lamps or electrical item. The next column is a different measure: how much of that model's own fails involved the family. A model that rarely fails except on lights would score high on the second and low on the first, which is why the table is ordered by the first. The cohort-years column shows how many of the four first-used years clear the 500-test floor for that model; a row resting on one year is thinner evidence than a row resting on four.

The next three models in the order were the Chevrolet Spark at 12.4%, the Fiat Punto at 12.3% and the Citroen DS3 at 12.2% of 299,220 tests. Vans, pickups and motorhomes are left out of this ranking so that it compares cars with cars; the method note says how.

Why this matters now

From Sunday the evening commute is in the dark, and a blown bulb or a misaligned headlamp that went unnoticed through the summer becomes obvious, to you and to everyone behind you. The DVSA inspection manual treats a headlamp that is missing or not working as a major defect, which fails the test, and the same for headlamp aim outside the limits. One number plate lamp out of two is a minor defect; both out is a major one.

There is a new wrinkle this month for anyone who has fitted LED bulbs in place of halogens. The manual now lets a tester accept an LED replacement in a halogen headlamp where it has been approved for that lamp and carries the manufacturer's approval sticker. No sticker, or a sticker that does not match the bulb, and the headlamp is rejected as a major defect. If a previous owner fitted them, look for the sticker before test day.

What to check before the test

1. Walk round with every light on. Side lights, headlights on both beams, indicators, brake lights with a helper on the pedal, reversing light, fog lights, number plate lamps. Every one of these is an item on the test sheet.
2. Look at the beam on a wall. Park square to a garage door at dusk. Two beams at clearly different heights, or one pointing at the sky, is an aim fault, and aim is the one lighting fault a bulb will not fix.
3. Check the lenses. A cracked or heavily hazed headlamp lens is an item in its own right on older cars.
4. Look at the dashboard. A warning lamp that stays on after starting can fail the test depending on which system it belongs to. Do not tape over it.
5. Read the car's past tests. On GOV.UK check MOT history a car that has failed on lights before has told you where to look.

What this does not mean

This table describes how large groups of cars tested, not how any one of them will. A 2013 model near the top of the list with a careful owner passes; a model well below the national figure with a blown bulb fails. The data records what the tester found; it does not record why, and the reasons include age, mileage, how the car has been kept and who owned it before. Two of the rows rest on a single first-used year and fewer than five thousand tests, which is enough to clear our floor and not enough to carry a strong conclusion. Nothing here is a judgement on any manufacturer.

Sources and method

Models first used 2012-2015 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 model in the cohort that clears the floor: 44,395,361 tests, 10,217,526 fails, 3,018,327 failing with a lamps or electrical item. Van, pickup and motorhome model names (for example Transit, Vivaro, Berlingo, Sprinter, Hilux) are excluded from the ranked rows; passenger people carriers are kept. Model bases: Peugeot 5008 40,248; Vauxhall Antara 89,813; Peugeot 207 92,803; Citroen Grand C4 Picasso 3,985; Hyundai i800 4,864; Ford Galaxy 84,350; Renault Grand Scenic 27,369; Chevrolet Spark 41,839; Fiat Punto 85,687; Citroen DS3 299,220.

• DVSA anonymised MOT results, class 4 first tests, 2021-2025
• GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 4, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
• GOV.UK: Check the MOT history of a vehicle

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.