The short answer
Wipers are the one MOT fail that hits new cars almost as hard as old ones. A wiper fault was recorded on 2.3% of first tests on cars aged 3 to 5 between 2021 and 2025 (33,793,352 tests). On cars aged 6 to 9 it was lower, at 1.8%, and it only passes the first-MOT figure on cars aged 15 and over, at 3.1%.
Washers behave like most faults and climb with age, from 0.7% of tests at 3 to 5 years to 2.3% at 15 and over. Both are a five-minute check, cheap to put right, and on the GOV.UK list of items retested free if the car is back at the same centre by the end of the next working day. With the wet months starting, do them this weekend.
Visibility faults 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wipers | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | 0.7% | 1.1% | 1.8% | 2.3% |
| Washers: not working | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Washers: jets misaligned and not providing sufficient fluid to the windscreen | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Driver's view | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Everything below wipers and washers is small. Windscreen chips, mirrors and the view through the glass each sit at a fraction of a percent in every band. The record does not say why first-MOT cars fail on wipers. A fair reading is that original blades last into the third year and are rarely changed before the first test, but that is a reading, not a finding.
What the test looks for
A wiper that does not work or is missing is a major defect in the DVSA inspection manual, as is a blade that obviously does not clear the screen. A worn blade that still clears is a minor defect, recorded but not a fail. Washers that do not work, or do not give enough fluid to clear the screen, are a major defect. Windscreen damage is judged by place and size: a 290mm band centred on the steering wheel where a chip over 10mm matters, and the rest of the swept area where the limit is 40mm. It fails only if it significantly affects the driver's view.
The Highway Code puts the owner's duty plainly: windscreens must be kept clean and clear, and wipers and washers must work.
Five minutes before the rain sets in
- Lift each blade and look at the rubber edge. Splits or a hardened edge smear rather than clear. Run them on a wet screen and watch for streaks or judder.
- Press the washer stalk. Both jets on the glass, wipers clearing what they spray. A dribble or a jet aimed at the roof is the fault recorded most after wipers.
- Top up with screen wash, not water. Water freezes in the jets on the first cold morning.
- Rear wiper and washer too, if fitted. A fitted part that does not work is tested.
- Look at the glass from the driver's seat. A chip in the band in front of you is judged more strictly than one at the edge.
- Read last year's test on the GOV.UK MOT history service. A blade marked minor last year is a year older.
If wipers or washers do fail, the GOV.UK retest rules list windscreen glass, wipers and washers among the items retested free before the end of the next working day.
What this does not mean
A 2.3% share means the large majority of first-MOT cars had no wiper fault. These are fleet figures across every model pooled together; they say nothing about your car or any make. A three-year-old car whose blades were changed in spring and a twelve-year-old with new blades both beat the averages. The record shows what the tester found, not why.
Frequently asked questions
A blade that is missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen is a major defect and fails. A worn blade that still clears is a minor defect: recorded, but the car passes. A wiper that does not operate at all is a major defect.
Washers that do not work or do not give enough fluid to clear the screen are a major defect, and an empty bottle produces exactly that. A washer fault was recorded on 1.8% of first tests on cars aged 10 to 14.
Only if it significantly affects the driver's view. The manual uses a 290mm band centred on the steering wheel where damage over 10mm counts, and 40mm elsewhere in the swept area. Damage that does not affect the view is a minor defect.
Sources and method
Shares are failed class 4 first tests, 2021-2025, recording each visibility 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; age = test year minus first-used year). 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 3, visibility
- GOV.UK: The Highway Code, annex 6, vehicle maintenance, safety and security
- 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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