Check a car
MOT defects · Lights

Side repeater not working MOT failure: what it means and which cars get it

In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, testers recorded this as a failure on at least 0.08 in 100 initial MOT tests. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta got it most often: recorded 3.0 times per 100 of its 26,655 tests.

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

Failures
0.08 in 100
At least 25,753 tests in 2023
Most often
Alfa Romeo Giulietta
3.0 per 100 tests

What it means

A side indicator repeater, on the wing or door mirror, is out.

How serious it is

A major defect, so a fail.

Source: MOT inspection manual for cars and light vans, section 4.4.

  1. Major Fail
    It may affect the vehicle's safety, put other road users at risk or have an impact on the environment. Repair it immediately.

What fixing it usually involves

A bulb, or a new repeater or mirror indicator unit.

A general guide, not a quote: ask a garage to inspect the car.

Which models get it most

Per 100 initial MOT tests on each model, among the 28 models with at least 20,000 tests where it is among the 40 most common items. DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail.

ModelTestsFail
Alfa Romeo Giulietta26,655
3.0
Citroen Relay63,380
1.8
Hyundai Santa Fe34,827
1.6
Hyundai ix3553,223
1.5
Volkswagen Crafter60,549
1.5
Toyota Avensis72,103
1.5
BMW X394,691
1.4
Mercedes-Benz M-Class36,193
1.4
Peugeot Boxer104,939
1.3
Volkswagen Sharan37,805
1.2

What to check at a viewing

  1. On the car
    Check the indicators on the wings or mirrors flash with the main indicators.
  2. In the MOT history
    If this appears in past results, ask what was done and when, and for the receipt.

Check a specific car

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What does "Side repeater not working" mean on an MOT?
A side indicator repeater, on the wing or door mirror, is out.
Side repeater not working: is it an MOT fail?
A major defect, so a fail.
Which cars are most likely to get "side repeater not working" on an MOT?
In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Alfa Romeo Giulietta (3.0 per 100 tests), the Citroen Relay (1.8 per 100 tests), the Hyundai Santa Fe (1.6 per 100 tests).

More lights defects

See every MOT defect we explain or MOT pass rates by model.

Side or tail light not workingBrake light not workingHeadlight not workingHeadlight lens slightly defectiveHeadlight aim outNumber plate light not workingIndicator discoloured or wrong colourSide repeater not workingRear fog light not working

How these figures are made. We counted the defects recorded at every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 in the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Each item counts once per test. A failure is a major or dangerous defect, including one fixed during the test. A model's rate is the share of its tests where the item was recorded.

For each model we keep its 40 most frequent items, so a model where a defect is rarer than that is not listed, and figures for all cars are a floor. Defect names and explanations are ours, checked against the MOT inspection manual; DVSA's own wording is shown under each name.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.