Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 15,234 tests

Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old MT examples track each other at the test bay.

Pre-2018 cohort 13,474

Pass

87.1%

Fail

7.0%

PRS

5.7%

Avg mileage at test

16,700 mi

2018–2020 cohort 1,446

Pass

93.4%

Fail

2.6%

PRS

3.8%

Avg mileage at test

9,546 mi

2021+ cohort 314

Pass

86.3%

Fail

2.9%

PRS

10.5%

Avg mileage at test

6,278 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Yamaha MT: solid MOT record across 11,046 tests

The Yamaha MT is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 11,046 tests puts this car on an 87.1% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 14,592 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear.

For used buyers, the MT'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.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

132 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
02

Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

105 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
03

Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear

95 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
04

A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

89 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
05

A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

64 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
06

A footrest missing or insecure

60 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
07

Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

55 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
08

A transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn

49 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
09

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps

46 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
10

Rate of flashing not between 60 and 120 times per minute

45 occurrences · 0.3% 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 2 failures

£140–£255

If every one of this MT'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 7.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Yamaha MT has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.4%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.4% — a 7.0-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, missing — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.

Band to be cautious about

86.3%

2021+ registration

On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 86.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, has a serious fluid leak, and noise is clearly in excess of that emitted by a similar motorcycle fitted with a standard silencer in average condition. Average mileage on test for this band is 6,278 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (86.3% pass). That's a 7.0-point spread across 314 older tests and 1,446 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

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

Item 02 · 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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Recall history

9 UK recalls on record.

The MT has 9 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an MT?

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 an MT 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.