The short answer
About 7 in 10 ten-year-old cars passed their MOT in 2025 (71.9% of 2,576,147 first tests on cars first used in 2015). Among eight of the most tested 2015 models the figure ranged from 63.6% to 81.8%, so the model you are looking at does shift the odds, but the spread is a spread between fleets of tens of thousands of cars, not a verdict on the one in the advert. Two of the three models above the national figure also carry the highest mileages in the group, which is a reminder that a pass rate on its own tells you less than the car's own history.
Before you view any ten-year-old car, read its MOT history: it shows every test since the car's first, the mileage at each, and what failed or was advised. That record is about the car. The table below is about its siblings.
What the data shows
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 let the garage fix there and then, so the certificate shows 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.
| Model (first used 2015, tested 2025) | Passed | Pass after rectification | Failed outright |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 64.9% | 8.1% | 27.1% |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 63.6% | 5.4% | 30.9% |
| Ford Focus | 72.4% | 6.1% | 21.5% |
| Volkswagen Golf | 81.8% | 3.2% | 15.0% |
| Nissan Qashqai | 68.5% | 3.8% | 27.7% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 71.8% | 4.1% | 24.1% |
| Vauxhall Astra | 66.7% | 6.1% | 27.1% |
| BMW 3 Series | 79.7% | 4.1% | 16.2% |
| All cars first used 2015, tested 2025 | 71.9% | - | - |
Three models sit above the national figure, two sit within a point of it, and three sit below. The Fiesta's PRS share, at 8.1%, is the highest in the group: on that model more than one certificate in thirteen that reads as a pass came after a fix on the day. The test counts behind every row are in the note at the foot of the page.
Why the gap between models is not the whole story
The two models with the highest pass rates here, the Golf and the 3 Series, also had the highest median mileages at the 2025 test, about 79,200 and about 93,100 miles against about 63,900 for the Fiesta. Cars that have done more miles have usually been serviced more and driven on longer, warmer journeys; cars that have done fewer have often sat, done short trips, and reached ten years old on their original parts. The data cannot separate those effects, and it does not record who owned the car or how it was looked after.
The pass rates also hide what the fails were. A model with a low pass rate whose fails are mostly bulbs and wiper blades is a different buying proposition from one whose fails are corrosion or suspension. Our what-fails-at-10-to-14 piece covers the items by age, and each model's own /mot/ page shows its common fails by year.
What to check on a ten-year-old car
- The whole history, not the last line. A pass this year after two fails and a PRS tells you more than the certificate does. Look for items that come back year after year.
- Advisories. On a car of this age the advisories are the shopping list for the next twelve months: tyres close to the limit, slight play in a joint, light corrosion. Price them before you agree a figure.
- The mileage against the age. Compare the reading with what is normal for the model at ten years, which our companion piece on normal mileage for these eight models sets out, and look for a steady climb test to test.
- A PRS in the record. It is not a mark against the car, but ask what was fixed and whether there is an invoice; a fault fixed in the test lane is sometimes fixed to the minimum.
- The car in daylight. Lights, tyres, wipers and the underside are the areas a ten-year-old car most often fails on, and all four can be looked at on a driveway before any money changes hands.
What this does not mean
A pass rate describes how a fleet of cars tested, not how any one of them will. The Corsa row contains tens of thousands of cars that passed cleanly, and the Golf row contains thousands that failed. Nothing in the data says why the fleets differ, and the differences in mileage alone show that the eight groups are not like for like. Use the table to set your expectations and to decide what to check. Use the car's own MOT history, its condition and its paperwork to decide whether to buy it.
Frequently asked questions
In 2025, 71.9% of first tests on cars first used in 2015 were passes, so about 7 in 10. That figure counts a pass after rectification as a fail, which is the GOV.UK convention. Individual models in this group ranged from 63.6% to 81.8%.
The car failed on an item the tester allowed to be fixed during the test, so the final result was a pass. The history records both. It is counted as a fail in published pass rates, and on a used car it is worth asking what the item was and whether a proper repair followed.
The data does not say. It records what testers found on the day. The models here with the highest pass rates also had the highest mileages, and mileage, servicing, use and storage all shape a result in ways the MOT record does not separate. A well-kept example of any model here can pass and a neglected one can fail.
No. The table is about fleets, and the car you are viewing has a record of its own. Read its MOT history, check the advisories and the mileage pattern, and look at the car in daylight. A lower fleet figure is a reason to look harder, not a reason to walk away.
Sources and method
Class 4 first tests in test year 2025 on cars first used in 2015, for eight models grouped across all trims by SortedCars' model tables, each beside the national figure for every car first used in 2015 and tested in 2025 (2,576,147 tests, 71.9% 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): Ford Fiesta 123,465; Vauxhall Corsa 86,567; Ford Focus 74,065; Volkswagen Golf 66,991; Nissan Qashqai 55,554; Volkswagen Polo 51,276; Vauxhall Astra 45,820; BMW 3 Series 31,200. Median odometer readings quoted in the text are rounded to the nearest 100 (Fiesta 63,879; Golf 79,236; 3 Series 93,097). GOV.UK page wording as read on 3 November 2026.
- DVSA anonymised MOT results, class 4 first tests, 2021-2025
- 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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