The picture
Trafic: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 157,258 MOT tests, the Trafic returns 67.0% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a worn steering ball joint. Windscreen damage and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 113,573, 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 steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
12,461 occurrences · 7.9% of tests
- 02
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
10,851 occurrences · 6.9% of tests
- 03
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
6,204 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 04
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
6,086 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 05
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
5,684 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
5,258 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 07
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
4,849 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 08
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
4,561 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 09
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
4,415 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 10
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
4,334 occurrences · 2.8% 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
£320–£960
If every one of this Trafic'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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Buying or keeping a Trafic?
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 Trafic 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.