The short answer
Suspension faults are rare at a car's first MOT and common by its tenth. Across models with 500 or more tests, 0.7% of first tests on cars first used in 2021 failed with a suspension item. For cars first used in 2009 it was 9.4%, about 1 in 11. The climb is steady, with no single age where it jumps.
One part leads at every age. A coil spring fault was recorded on 4.1% of first tests on cars aged 10 to 14 between 2021 and 2025 (44,980,002 tests), about 1 in 25, well ahead of ball joints, bushes and shock absorbers. As the pothole months begin, a broken spring is also the fault an owner can most often spot without tools.
Which suspension parts fail, by car age
Share of first tests recording each fault, 2021 to 2025. Age is the test year minus the year the car was first used.
| Item recorded | 3 to 5 yrs | 6 to 9 yrs | 10 to 14 yrs | 15 yrs and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coil spring | 0.3% | 2.0% | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Ball joint | 0.1% | 0.9% | 2.2% | 2.3% |
| Pins and bushes | 0.1% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 2.1% |
| Shock absorbers | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover | 0.0% | 0.2% | 1.1% | 1.6% |
On the oldest cars a different item joins the list: corrosion of the body around the suspension mountings, on 2.2% of tests aged 15 and over. By then suspension is part of more than a quarter of all fails; on cars first used in 2011 it featured in 29.0% of them.
Potholes, and what the record cannot say
Autumn and winter are when roads break up and springs take the hits, and it is tempting to read the table as pothole damage. The record does not allow it. It holds the year of the test, not the month, so it cannot show a winter spike, and it records nothing about cause. A snapped spring may be a pothole, fatigue, corrosion or all three.
What it does support is simpler: the older the car, the more likely a suspension item is already waiting to be found, so the older the car, the more a hard knock this winter is worth following up. You can report a pothole on GOV.UK for roads in England and Wales.
What the test looks for, and what to check
A spring that is fractured or seriously weakened is a major defect in the DVSA inspection manual. A shock absorber that does not work or shows severe leakage is major; slight seepage is not a reason for rejection; a missing one is dangerous.
- Look through each wheel arch at the coil spring, front wheels on full lock. A break usually shows as a snapped coil end near the top or bottom seat.
- Listen on a rough road at low speed. A knock over bumps points to a worn ball joint, bush or drop link.
- Push down hard on each corner and let go. It should settle at once.
- Run a hand over the tyres. Uneven wear across the width is often a suspension or alignment sign.
- Check for one corner sitting low or the car pulling on a flat road.
- Read last year's MOT on the GOV.UK MOT history service. A suspension item marked minor last year has had another winter.
Suspension is not on the free next-day retest list. If the car fails, the GOV.UK retest rules give two routes: leave it at the centre and it is retested free within 10 working days, or take it away and bring it back within 10 working days for a partial retest, which can be charged for.
What this does not mean
A 9.4% share on cars first used in 2009 means the large majority of those tests recorded no suspension item. These are fleet figures pooled across every model; they say nothing about any make and nothing about your car. A well-kept sixteen-year-old on good roads can pass this part for years; a neglected eight-year-old on broken roads can fail it this winter. The record shows what was found, not the cause and not the cost.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A spring that is fractured or seriously weakened is a major defect. Coil springs are the most recorded suspension item at every age: 4.1% of first tests on cars aged 10 to 14 between 2021 and 2025.
The record cannot say. It shows a suspension item was found, not what caused it, and it has no month for individual faults. It does show suspension fails rising steadily with age, so a hard pothole hit on an older car is more worth following up.
Less often than springs: 1.1% of first tests on cars aged 10 to 14 recorded a shock absorber item. Severe leakage or a unit that does not work is a major defect; slight seepage is not a reason for rejection.
Not under the next-working-day rule. If the car stays at the centre for repair it is retested free within 10 working days; if you take it away and bring it back within 10 working days a partial retest fee can be charged.
Sources and method
Cohort shares are failed class 4 first tests, 2021-2025, involving at least one suspension item, across models with 500 or more tests, by first-used year (2,021,332 tests first used 2021, 7,078,193 first used 2009). Item shares are each suspension item as a share of all first tests in the age band (33,793,352 tests aged 3-5, 50,103,915 aged 6-9, 44,980,002 aged 10-14, 31,405,150 aged 15 and over). A test can record several items.
- DVSA anonymised MOT results, class 4 first tests, 2021-2025 (data.gov.uk)
- GOV.UK: MOT inspection manual, section 5, axles, wheels, tyres and suspension
- GOV.UK: Report a pothole
- GOV.UK: MOT retests after a repair
- 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.
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