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MOT defects · Tyres and wheels

Tyre cords exposed 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 1.0 in 100 initial MOT tests. The Volvo V50 got it most often: recorded 4.3 times per 100 of its 33,991 tests.

DVSA wording: A tyre cords visible or damaged.

Failures
1.0 in 100
At least 341,483 tests in 2023
Most often
Volvo V50
4.3 per 100 tests

What it means

The tyre has worn or been damaged through the rubber to the cords or ply that form its structure. Usually it is the inner edge, worn away by bad alignment.

How serious it is

A dangerous defect, so a fail and the car should not be driven until it is fixed.

Source: MOT inspection manual for cars and light vans, section 5.2.3.

  1. Dangerous Fail
    A direct and immediate risk to road safety or has a serious impact on the environment. Do not drive the vehicle until it's been repaired.

What fixing it usually involves

A new tyre, and an alignment check to find out why it wore through.

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 156 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
Volvo V5033,991
4.3
Volkswagen Touran78,967
3.6
SEAT Alhambra28,992
3.4
Volvo C3024,617
3.3
Mercedes-Benz CLS25,386
3.1
Peugeot Bipper22,191
3.1
Volvo S4021,201
3.0
Volkswagen Passat207,331
2.9
BMW X588,022
2.8
Vauxhall Combo107,867
2.8

What to check at a viewing

  1. On the car
    Look at the inner edge of each front tyre, which is easy to miss. Bald or shiny patches mean the cords are close.
  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.

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Questions

What does "Tyre cords exposed" mean on an MOT?
The tyre has worn or been damaged through the rubber to the cords or ply that form its structure. Usually it is the inner edge, worn away by bad alignment.
Tyre cords exposed: is it an MOT fail?
A dangerous defect, so a fail and the car should not be driven until it is fixed.
Which cars are most likely to get "tyre cords exposed" on an MOT?
In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Volvo V50 (4.3 per 100 tests), the Volkswagen Touran (3.6 per 100 tests), the SEAT Alhambra (3.4 per 100 tests).

More tyres and wheels defects

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

Tyre tread depth lowTyre damaged, cracked or perishedTyre cords exposedWheel distorted or worn at the hubTyre pressure warning light on

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.