At a Glance
UK cars have seen 117.2M electrical problems recorded across 20 years of DVSA MOT data. Vans over-index on this category by +71% vs the UK average. The category's per-test fail rate has dropped since 2006 — 31.7% → 15.5% (-51% 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 Electrical Problems on UK Cars
The electrical category covers a major portion of UK MOT failures across cars, vans, and pickups. UK testers have recorded 117.2M electrical 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 electrical 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 Electrical
Top 15 UK car makes ranked by electrical problems recorded in DVSA MOT data
Switch between raw Problem count (Ford, Vauxhall lead because they're bigger fleets), Per-test rate (electrical 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 electrical problems.
Most Common Electrical Problems
The 20 most frequently recorded electrical problems across all UK makes and models
1.Number plate lamp not working
27.1M (22.5%)2.Stop lamp not working
22.6M (18.7%)3.Front lamp not working
14.1M (11.7%)4.Headlamp defect (aim check required on retest)
9.9M (8.2%)5.Position lamp not working
9.0M (7.4%)6.Headlamp fault
6.7M (5.6%)7.Indicator fault
6.3M (5.2%)8.Headlamp defect (no aim check)
6.2M (5.1%)9.Rear lamp not working
6.1M (5.1%)10.Fog lamp not working
3.9M (3.2%)11.Horn not working
2.6M (2.2%)12.Battery loose or leaking
1.5M (1.3%)13.Rear fog lamp not working
1.5M (1.2%)14.Electrical switch fault
793K (0.66%)15.Rear reflector damaged or missing
740K (0.61%)16.Dashboard warning lamp fault
417K (0.35%)17.Headlamp levelling device fault
299K (0.25%)18.Electrical wiring fault
246K (0.20%)19.Reversing lamp not working
242K (0.20%)20.Outline marker lamp not working
213K (0.18%)Electrical Trend — 20 Years of UK MOT Data
Per-year electrical failure rate vs the UK all-category average
Each line is the per-year failure rate as a percentage of UK MOT tests. Electrical rate has dropped from 31.7% (2006) to 15.5% (2024) — a -51% 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 Electrical?
Per-body-type electrical problem rate deviation from UK average
A body type that bulges right over-indexes on electrical per MOT test — structurally more electrical 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 Electrical Problem
Had a electrical problem with your car? Report it and we'll add it to the database.
Tell Us About a Electrical Problem
Had a electrical 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 electrical problems on UK cars?
Based on DVSA MOT test records, the top electrical problems are number plate lamp not working, stop lamp not working, front lamp not working. These three account for 53% of all electrical failures recorded.
Which UK make has the most electrical problems?
By absolute volume, Ford has the most electrical problems recorded (21,862,373 occurrences, 17.9% of all UK electrical 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 electrical?
Vans over-index on electrical failures by 71% vs the UK average, while Sportss are 46% below average. See the body-type deviation chart above.
Is electrical getting better or worse over time?
Electrical failures have improved over the 20-year window — 2006: 31.7% of UK MOT tests → 2024: 15.5% (-51% 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.
