Tesla
36,220 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Model 3 Standard Range +s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
87.4%
Pass-after-fix
1.4%
Fail
10.7%
Avg miles
42,214
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from all UK clean air zone charges.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 36,220 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Model 3 Standard Range + examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
87.6%
Fail
10.3%
PRS
1.7%
Avg mileage at test
45,404 mi
Pass
87.2%
Fail
11.3%
PRS
1.1%
Avg mileage at test
38,252 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range + is a electric-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 12,038 tests puts this car on an 86.0% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 36,803 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by tyre with exposed cords.
For used buyers, the Model 3 Standard Range +'s pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.
ABI Insurance Group
Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
30–38
out of 50
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2,382 occurrences · 6.6% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
699 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
624 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
342 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
252 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
192 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
169 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative
145 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
115 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
87 occurrences · 0.2% 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 3 failures
£200–£430
If every one of this Model 3 Standard Range +'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Tesla Model 3 Standard Range + makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
87.6%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 87.6% — a 0.4-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has ply or cords exposed — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
87.2%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 87.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has ply or cords exposed, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 38,252 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (87.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (87.2% pass). That's a 0.4-point spread across 16,154 older tests and 20,066 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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.
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Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
URL Source: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/tesla/model-3-standard-range/
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 Model 3 Standard Range + 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.
