The picture
Q50: above-average pass rates, with caveats
Across 2,992 MOT tests, the Q50 returns 81.4% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Tyre tread under the limit and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 68,688, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
155 occurrences · 5.2% of tests
- 02
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
108 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
79 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 04
A tyre cords visible or damaged
70 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 05
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
51 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 06
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
48 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade defective
33 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 08
A tyre seriously damaged
29 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 09
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
27 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 10
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
25 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures
£280–£590
If every one of this Q50's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a Q50?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Q50 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.