MOT defects · Tyres and wheels

Wheel distorted or worn at the hub MOT advisory: what it means and which cars get it

In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, testers recorded this as an advisory on at least 0.4 in 100 initial MOT tests. The Ford Fiesta got it most often: recorded 3.7 times per 100 of its 1,448,658 tests.

DVSA wording: A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting.

Advisories

0.4 in 100

At least 148,481 tests in 2023

Most often

Ford Fiesta

3.7 per 100 tests

What it means

A wheel is bent, often from a pothole or kerb strike, or has worn where it centres on the hub. As an advisory the tester has noted damage that is not yet bad enough to fail.

How serious it is

A major defect, so a fail, when badly distorted. Distorted enough that the wheel or tyre could come off is dangerous.

Source: MOT inspection manual for cars and light vans, section 5.2.2.

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.
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.
Advisory Pass
It could become more serious in the future. Monitor and repair it if necessary.

What fixing it usually involves

Wheel straightening by a specialist or a new wheel.

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 59 models with at least 20,000 tests where it is among the 40 most common items. DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail.

Model	Tests	Advisory
Ford Fiesta	1,448,658	3.7
Peugeot 107	119,430	3.7
Renault Clio	342,150	3.5
Citroen C1	168,925	3.2
Volvo V50	33,991	2.8
BMW i3	20,216	2.4
Renault Megane	121,442	2.3
Mercedes-Benz Citan	20,306	2.2
Renault Twingo	26,208	2.2
Volvo V70	45,316	2.1

What to check at a viewing

On the car
Look at the inside rim of each wheel for flat spots or cracks, and feel for vibration through the steering wheel at motorway speed.
In the MOT history
If this appears as an advisory, see whether it came back at the next test or turned into a failure, and ask the seller for the receipt if it was fixed.

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.

Questions

What does "Wheel distorted or worn at the hub" mean on an MOT?

A wheel is bent, often from a pothole or kerb strike, or has worn where it centres on the hub. As an advisory the tester has noted damage that is not yet bad enough to fail.

Wheel distorted or worn at the hub: is it an MOT fail?

A major defect, so a fail, when badly distorted. Distorted enough that the wheel or tyre could come off is dangerous.

Which cars are most likely to get "wheel distorted or worn at the hub" on an MOT?

In DVSA MOT data for 2023, analysed by RegTail, the models that got it most often were the Ford Fiesta (3.7 per 100 tests), the Peugeot 107 (3.7 per 100 tests), the Renault Clio (3.5 per 100 tests).

More tyres and wheels defects

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

Tyre tread depth low Tyre damaged, cracked or perished Tyre cords exposed Wheel distorted or worn at the hub Tyre 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.