At a Glance
UK cars have seen 103.7M suspension problems recorded across 20 years of DVSA MOT data. Vans over-index on this category by +29% vs the UK average. The category's per-test fail rate has dropped since 2006 — 20.1% → 11.0% (-45% 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 Suspension Problems on UK Cars
The suspension category covers a major portion of UK MOT failures across cars, vans, and pickups. UK testers have recorded 103.7M suspension 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 suspension 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 Suspension
Top 15 UK car makes ranked by suspension problems recorded in DVSA MOT data
Switch between raw Problem count (Ford, Vauxhall lead because they're bigger fleets), Per-test rate (suspension 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 suspension problems.
Most Common Suspension Problems
The 20 most frequently recorded suspension problems across all UK makes and models
1.Suspension pins, bushes or ball joints worn
65.6M (29.9%)2.Coil spring broken or corroded
29.5M (13.4%)3.Shock absorber worn or leaking
25.7M (11.7%)4.Suspension linkage pins, bushes or ball joints worn
20.2M (9.2%)5.Driveshaft fault
17.0M (7.7%)6.Suspension component mounting corroded
8.6M (3.9%)7.Ball joint worn
8.5M (3.9%)8.Front suspension joint worn
6.9M (3.2%)9.Rear suspension fault
5.2M (2.4%)10.Front suspension fault
4.7M (2.1%)11.MacPherson strut condition
4.7M (2.1%)12.Subframe corrosion or damage
3.8M (1.7%)13.Wheel bearing worn
3.8M (1.7%)14.Suspension arm worn or corroded
3.5M (1.6%)15.Ball joint dust cover split
3.3M (1.5%)16.Linkage ball joint dust cover split
2.2M (1.0%)17.Subframe mounting corroded
2.0M (0.91%)18.Spring mounting corroded
1.8M (0.82%)19.Suspension linkage condition
1.4M (0.64%)20.Swivel pin or bush worn
1.2M (0.55%)Suspension Trend — 20 Years of UK MOT Data
Per-year suspension failure rate vs the UK all-category average
Each line is the per-year failure rate as a percentage of UK MOT tests. Suspension rate has dropped from 20.1% (2006) to 11.0% (2024) — a -45% 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 Suspension?
Per-body-type suspension problem rate deviation from UK average
A body type that bulges right over-indexes on suspension per MOT test — structurally more suspension 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 Suspension Problem
Had a suspension problem with your car? Report it and we'll add it to the database.
Tell Us About a Suspension Problem
Had a suspension 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 suspension problems on UK cars?
Based on DVSA MOT test records, the top suspension problems are suspension pins, bushes or ball joints worn, coil spring broken or corroded, shock absorber worn or leaking. These three account for 55% of all suspension failures recorded.
Which UK make has the most suspension problems?
By absolute volume, Ford has the most suspension problems recorded (46,365,835 occurrences, 19.8% of all UK suspension 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 suspension?
Vans over-index on suspension failures by 29% vs the UK average, while Sportss are 51% below average. See the body-type deviation chart above.
Is suspension getting better or worse over time?
Suspension failures have improved over the 20-year window — 2006: 20.1% of UK MOT tests → 2024: 11.0% (-45% 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.
