Regular servicing and limiting your mileage, not your make and model, are the deciding factors in MOT failures, according to new data from Nationwide Autocentre.
Nationwide Autocentre, the UK's largest MOT test provider, has drawn this conclusion after analysing its own MOT data.
Among its findings are that:- 20 per cent less cars fail when serviced regularly- more miles in a short space of time will increase the chance of MOT failure- the cost of rectifying a failure item reduces when vehicles are serviced regularly by around 37 per cent
“If you run your car into the ground, it’ll cost you more,” said commercial director Mark Taylor. “The Megane is relatively cheap to fix – the average bill is just £176, but the stats show servicing reduces the chances and the cost of failing its MOT.”
Renault pointed out that the Megane was the best-selling car in its segment, with a lot of sales to company fleets: “It’s unfortunate the DfT data doesn’t take the effect of higher mileages into account as there are a multitude of reasons why a car can fail that relate to use and maintenance."
Nationwide Autocentre’s stats also give drivers some insight into the running costs and reliability of some of the most popular models.
The Vauxhall Astra’s failure rate drops from 17 per cent to just 8 per cent with servicing and the cost of repair falls from £199 to £57 on average. Taylor suspects that the remaining failures could be due to drivers not bothering with a simple five point check before the test.
“Around 30 per cent of all MOT failures are down to people not checking their tyres, wipers and screen, lights, number plates and seatbelts before the test,” said Taylor. “You’d be amazed how many people didn’t realise their dog’s been chewing the rear seatbelts.”
And it seems to be true that if you look after a VW Golf properly, it will run like clockwork. The 04 VW Golf has an average failure rate of 13.6 per cent, but this falls to zero among serviced models.
The BMW 3 Series also does well. Its 8.4 per cent failure rate makes it the best by some way in Nationwide’s books. And, with servicing, it also drops to zero.
The Ford Focus shows how much money regular servicing can save you. On 04 examples, the cost of fixing MOT failures halved to around £100 on cars that were properly maintained.
