Tesla
19,518 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Model Ss pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
84.2%
Pass-after-fix
1.5%
Fail
13.2%
Avg miles
82,260
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Trim variants
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 19,510 tests
Pass rate climbs 4.3 points across the cohorts — newer Model S examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
83.3%
Fail
13.8%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
87,793 mi
Pass
87.6%
Fail
10.5%
PRS
1.1%
Avg mileage at test
61,068 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Tesla Model S 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 10,783 tests puts this car on a 83.4% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 72,552 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by tyre with exposed cords.
More than just a car the Tesla Model S is a revolution, the Californian firm catching the established legacy car manufacturers napping and delivering a useable electric car to the public, and a charging network to help power it.
For used buyers, the Model S'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
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
627 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
522 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
256 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
251 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
236 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
222 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Wiper blade defective
181 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
162 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
161 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
142 occurrences · 0.7% 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 S'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.3-point gap between bands means the year you buy Tesla Model S has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
87.6%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 87.6% — a 4.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 61,068 miles — roughly 27K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. 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. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
83.3%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 83.3% 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 damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 87,793 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (87.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (83.3% pass). That's a 4.3-point spread across 15,513 older tests and 3,997 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.
Where it falls short
More than just a car the Tesla Model S is a revolution, the Californian firm catching the established legacy car manufacturers napping and delivering a useable electric car to the public, and a charging network to help power it.
Recall history
The Model S has 8 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 S 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.
