At a Glance
UK cars have seen 102.9M brakes problems recorded across 20 years of DVSA MOT data. Vans over-index on this category by +38% vs the UK average. The category's per-test fail rate has dropped since 2006 — 26.1% → 10.3% (-61% change).
Trend rates normalise failures by UK MOT test volume each year, so a growing number of cars on UK roads doesn't distort the signal. Read our DVSA data analysis methodology →
About Brakes Problems on UK Cars
The brakes category covers a major portion of UK MOT failures across cars, vans, and pickups. UK testers have recorded 102.9M brakes problems across 20 years of DVSA data — patterns useful for buyers checking a used car, owners scheduling preventive repairs, and journalists writing about UK road safety.
Below: which UK car makes most commonly fail MOTs in this category, the specific brakes problems testers record most often, body-type comparisons, and 20 years of trend data — all drawn from DVSA records, no editorial picks.
UK Car Makes Most Affected by Brakes
Top 15 UK car makes ranked by brakes problems recorded in DVSA MOT data
Switch between raw Problem count (Ford, Vauxhall lead because they're bigger fleets), Per-test rate (brakes problems divided by this make's total MOT tests — normalises for fleet size), and MOT tests (fleet size for context). Hover any bar for all three values plus share of UK brakes problems.
Most Common Brakes Problems
The 20 most frequently recorded brakes problems across all UK makes and models
1.Brake disc or drum worn
62.9M (25.5%)2.Brake pads or linings worn
56.6M (22.9%)3.Brake hydraulic component worn
51.8M (21.0%)4.Service brake performance below minimum
31.6M (12.8%)5.Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged
17.8M (7.2%)6.Parking brake performance below minimum
5.8M (2.4%)7.Parking brake condition
5.2M (2.1%)8.Flexible brake hose damaged
4.9M (2.0%)9.ABS fault
2.7M (1.1%)10.Brake pedal fault
1.5M (0.61%)11.Handbrake cable fault
1.1M (0.46%)12.Brake lever fault
793K (0.32%)13.Brake pedal movement restricted
628K (0.25%)14.Electronic stability control fault
625K (0.25%)15.Brake fluid leak
606K (0.25%)16.Brake caliper fault
522K (0.21%)17.Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault
443K (0.18%)18.Brake fluid level low or contaminated
371K (0.15%)19.Handbrake lever fault
310K (0.13%)20.Brake air or vacuum system fault
195K (0.08%)Brakes Trend — 20 Years of UK MOT Data
Per-year brakes failure rate vs the UK all-category average
Each line is the per-year failure rate as a percentage of UK MOT tests. Brakes rate has dropped from 26.1% (2006) to 10.3% (2024) — a -61% change. Use the filter pills to toggle either line.
Showing all categories. Click a pill to hide; double-click to isolate.
Which Body Type Fails Most on Brakes?
Per-body-type brakes problem rate deviation from UK average
A body type that bulges right over-indexes on brakes per MOT test — structurally more brakes failures than the UK baseline, not just more problems because it's popular.
Note on body-type classification: each model is assigned a single primary body style. Multi-body models (e.g. Volvo 240, BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, Ford Mondeo) appear under their dominant body — usually saloon — even when they had significant estate or hatchback variants. So the “saloon” bar above includes some genuine estate volume. We're working on per-generation body-type data to fix this.
Tell Us About a Brakes Problem
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Tell Us About a Brakes Problem
Had a brakes problem with your car? Report it and we'll add it to the database.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common brakes problems on UK cars?
Based on DVSA MOT test records, the top brakes problems are brake disc or drum worn, brake pads or linings worn, brake hydraulic component worn. These three account for 69% of all brakes failures recorded.
Which UK make has the most brakes problems?
By absolute volume, Ford has the most brakes problems recorded (47,201,892 occurrences, 17.4% of all UK brakes problems) — which partly reflects how many Ford vehicles are on UK roads, not just reliability. See the Most Affected Makes list above for the full ranking.
Which body type fails most on brakes?
Vans over-index on brakes failures by 38% vs the UK average, while Sportss are 32% below average. See the body-type deviation chart above.
Is brakes getting better or worse over time?
Brakes failures have improved over the 20-year window — 2006: 26.1% of UK MOT tests → 2024: 10.3% (-61% change). Compare against the UK all-categories line on the chart for context.
How is this data calculated?
DVSA publishes anonymised MOT test records under the Open Government Licence v3. We classify every Reason-for-Rejection (RfR) item into one of 11 DVSA-tested categories, aggregate counts across 20 years of data, and normalise per-year rates by UK MOT test volume so growth in the number of cars on UK roads doesn't distort the trend. Read the full methodology for details.
