Bottom 10 MOT Bounders

First time tests that go wrong

From time to time I do get involved with an outfit (DataNews Ltd) that does some freedom of information requests with our mates down at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. For all sorts of reasons that have delayed it’s appearance (should have arrived in 2024) here are the stats that relate to a full year of MOTs for 2023. Now ancient history I know, but as you will learn, still incredibly relevant to what’s going on right now. Seems a shame to waste this information, so here it is. Incidentally, the sample size is realistic as there must have been at least 2,000 of each model to go down the MOT line and get a poke from the inspector’s screwdriver.

I have just decided divide this feature in two as I think it makes sense to cover the bottom 10 first, then the top 10 best buys next time so that you have something to look forward to

When it comes to cars taking their first test (so they are three years old and were brand new in 2020), the vehicle with the worst pass rate was the Tesla Model 3 Performance, almost 80 percent of the failures are for problems with their tyres. Of the 4,891 Model 3 Performance Teslas that took their first MoT in ‘23, 974 were given a fail by the inspector.

Another Model 3, the Long Range, also finished in the top/bottom ten of vehicles that failed their first MoT – again with the majority getting into trouble because of concerns over their tyres.

In previous years the data from the UK’s MoT testing centres has shown family workhorse cars such as the Renault Megane and the Ford Galaxy have been the vehicles with the worst pass rate. Other vehicles this year that came in the top ten of failures were three different versions of the Ford Fiesta, a Renault Clio and the BMW 330.

Obviously the figures cannot take account of how well their owners looked after their vehicles in the three years coming up to the test or how many miles they had been driven. They exclude vans, 4×4 and other vehicles frequently used as delivery vans.

Many of the cars may have failed on simple things the owner could have put right themselves like dangerously bald tyres or lights bulbs that needed changing.

The standout model is the electricity Model 3 which confirms what people in the car trade are seeing, owners who believe their EVs are invincible. That’s the hype, so here is the stark reality that all cars, irrespective of the power plant, need looking after.

The Ford Fiesta, which is significantly now a discontinued model, works especially hard as a practical company car, so no surprise that it turns up in three model flavours. Same reason we also see the Mondeo show up.

Surprising to see a BMW in there, previously a premium model which would be well looked after, the 3 Series is in some respects very much in the same company car class as all Fords. Consequently they are used hard and problems get overlooked until MOT time.

Private users buying down to a budget explains why the Dacia, Peugeot and Renault make a showing when owners are seemingly surprised that they need looking after.

Lets dig into the figures which cover the models that were First Time MOT Failures. By way of explanation, there’s the Make and sometimes Model, followed by the number of tests, the number of Fails and the % of fails. Then let’s find one for sale.

Tesla Model 3 Performance 4,891/974/19.9

We rock up at main dealer Vauxhall Bedford via a search on the Heycar website where they have a 2020 Tesla Model 3 Performance on sale at £20,700. That seems reasonable enough although I am not entirely up to speed on what used Electricity cars are going for. Hold on though there is a further £1,113 off which takes it down to £19,587. it is a one owner 64,149 mile example and even old Slog reckons that’s a sold three slogger.

Ford Fiesta Trend Turbo 5,512/1,019/18.5

This time we are on Motors.co.uk and fetch up at Motorswitch Ltd for one of those dodgy Fiestas. It’s a 2020 on a 69 plate, to be precise a 1.0 TREND. Just the one owner, so we it should have been looked after under manufacturer warranty. It has covered 16,891 miles and is up at £11,295, a recently reduced asking price. A harmless little shopper deserving of three Slogs.

Ford Fiesta St-Line 6,807/1,186/17.4

Now we find an Arnold Clark via the Parkers website it’s a 2019 (‘69plate ) 1.0 EcoBoost 125 ST-Line X. It was £12,698, but as there seems to be sales on all over the place £500 off takes it down to £12,198 with only 26,138 miles on the clock. I do get nervy though about those Ecoboost which do take a bit of effort when the belt is due a change. To the extent that if your mechanic does not have a grand’s worth of tools to complete the job. Still a three Slogger.

BMW 330 5,668/973/17.2

Over at Ford of Bedford we find ourselves a 2020 330i M Sport automatic at

£21,599 with 41,358 miles. Not much to say really, looks smart enough and a wonder why you would let it become unroadworthy, when it is your company car. Someone else is paying but you are busy, busy, busy. Three Slogs.

Peugeot 5008 3,583/606/16.9

On Car Gurus and another main dealer, this time Perrys of Huddersfield offering Peugeot Used kit in the shape of a 2019 5008 in GT Line spec with 1.5 Blue HDi engine that’s covered 45,500 miles and the cash price is £16,900. Useful for the family, frugal but a bit flimsy in real life. I remember driving one when they were first launched in the UK.Still a three Slogger for most off us.

Tesla Model 3 Long Range 10,501/1,756/16.7

For some strange reason this turned up on the Cinch car sales website, one of those where we wonder how they make money in the real world. It’s a 2020 that has done a decently long range over the last five years at 73,292 miles. They are asking £17,599 or just £253 a month. Yes you guessed it, three Slogs.

Renault Clio Iconic 4,777/795/16.

Here we are at the Toomey Motor Group at their Renault Southend outlet who have the correct 1.0 Iconic with a 5 speed manual gearbox in unmissable Orange. It has done just over 61,000 miles and costs £9,490 or PCP it for £156.88. French cars I find disappointing unless fairly old and simple. Still a three Slog though.

Ford Fiesta 21,780/3,557/16.3

Back to those wonky Fiestas at Spencer's Car Sales in Norwich. A 2019 Ford Fiesta 1.0 Zetec, with 35,000 miles, two previous owners, and two keys. The Cash Price is

£9,295.00. Three Slogs obvs.

Ford Mondeo 2,107/ 332/15.8

Still in the East and that’s Auto Zone Peterborough where a 2020 Ford Mondeo Ford Mondeo 2.0 EcoBlue Zetec Edition is up for grabs. An especially useful estate with 71K miles and ours for £9,990. Almost a four Slogger but this is a bottom 10, so another 3.

Dacia Sandero 8,075/1,267/15.7

And finally here we at Harley Motors Limited via the Piston Heads website. It’s a

Dacia Sandero ESSENTIAL SCE apparently and up at £4,495 with just 28K miles on the clock. Mechanics like them because it is easy and cheap to fit the old Renault mechanical bits. However, I just heard about a full history Sandero that had lumpy engine swarf in the sump at the oil change. Yep it’s a 3 Slog.

Come back next week to find out what the Top Ten best performing first time MOT motors are. Why not have a guess? If you want to email me what you think will comprise the 10, I will sort out a prize if you should be that impressively prescient.

Before we go, let’s read a book.

Bangernomics Book Review: The Schlumpf Obsession

by Denis Jenkinson & Peter Verstappen

If you are of a certain age the news that a pair of fruitcake brothers obsessively collected mostly Bugattis, just because they could afford to, was all over social media of the time. Well it wasn’t, there was no such thing it was properly reported and very well written about and this book is a rather fine example of that lost genre.

What today would be a fairly viral video, a Tweet Thread and some Instagram Posts before being forgotten about, actually educated the masses for much longer in well written tomes like this one. It was published by Hamlyn in 1977 and reprinted in ‘79. This is a ‘79 one with degraded protective plastic, which has done a decent job over the last forty odd years.

What we have is the very full story by three esteemed writers. Jenkinson, we should all know and respect. Verstappen is one of those proper old fashioned investigative reporters on the Sunday Times Insight Team and was involved with a book called The Weather Conspiracy, so I’d have probably liked him. And finally, Michael Sedgwick who probably pulled it all together and was then the Director of Research at the National Motor Museum/

What we have is a very good history of the Schlumps (Hans and Fritz) who were odd, but strangely likeable and seemed to behave like we would have done, given lots of money, time, resources and a chandelier festooned shed. They could be an arse to some of their workers, but they fell victim to the prevailing ‘up the workers’ red army faction approach to 1970s Euro industrial relations. Then again, their accounts and future business plan could have been a bit more robust. I think they came out having to work with the Nazis thing fairly well, saving workers from transportation. There is also a bit of murder, intrique and sex.

There are the cars and of course not all of them are Bugattis, Some are contemporary racers from Ferrari and Lotus, Mercedes, a Zeppelin and some of them featured on colour plates.

The best thing about this book is that there is an inscription from Christmas 1979. ‘To Iain from Helen + Harold’. I do hope they had a very merry Xmas as they put it.

I have seen it around on Ebay and Amazon for a tenner, but I was lucky and it was in a charity shop for a quid.

See you next time.

Please note that all images are copyright of the selling garage, no recommendation is made for any vehicle featured and ideally it is best to go and check for yourself.

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