The picture
Note: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 197,138 MOT tests, the Note returns 71.6% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a broken or weak spring. Worn suspension bushes and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 74,961, 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 spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
9,431 occurrences · 4.8% of tests
- 02
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
7,991 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
7,691 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
6,999 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 05
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
6,386 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 06
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
6,136 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 07
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
6,037 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
5,367 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
5,075 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 10
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
4,374 occurrences · 2.2% 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
£248–£755
If every one of this Note'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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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.
Buying or keeping a Note?
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 Note 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.