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MOT defects · Tyres and wheels

Tyre pressure warning light on 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 Jeep Renegade got it most often: recorded 2.3 times per 100 of its 26,846 tests.

DVSA wording: A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative.

Failures
0.08 in 100
At least 28,504 tests in 2023
Most often
Jeep Renegade
2.3 per 100 tests

What it means

The tyre pressure monitoring system has a fault, or its warning light stays on. On cars first used from 1 January 2012 it is part of the MOT.

How serious it is

A major defect, so a fail.

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

  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

Often a sensor battery or a failed sensor inside a wheel; sometimes simply resetting the system after correct pressures are set.

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 53 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
Jeep Renegade26,846
2.3
Hyundai ix3553,223
1.8
Vauxhall Viva38,525
1.6
Hyundai i4022,400
1.2
Vauxhall Mokka221,669
1.1
Smart Forfour23,141
0.9
Vauxhall Adam59,564
0.9
Fiat 500X33,176
0.8
Kia Sportage256,061
0.8
Peugeot 10873,505
0.7

What to check at a viewing

  1. On the car
    With the ignition on, the tyre pressure light should come on and then go out once the engine runs.
  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 pressure warning light on" mean on an MOT?
The tyre pressure monitoring system has a fault, or its warning light stays on. On cars first used from 1 January 2012 it is part of the MOT.
Tyre pressure warning light on: is it an MOT fail?
A major defect, so a fail.
Which cars are most likely to get "tyre pressure warning light on" on an MOT?
In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Jeep Renegade (2.3 per 100 tests), the Hyundai ix35 (1.8 per 100 tests), the Vauxhall Viva (1.6 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.