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MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Smart City MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 65.3% of 5,850 MOT tests on the Smart City ended in a pass, 11.2 points below the 76.5% average for all cars.

Pass rate
65.3%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
5,850
Initial MOTs in 2023
Mileage at 15
61k
Median; middle half 49k to 77k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Smart City MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
15250 tests
63.2%
61,000 · 49k to 77k
16808 tests
64.0%
63,000 · 47k to 79k
17596 tests
62.8%
65,000 · 49k to 79k
18739 tests
66.7%
65,000 · 49k to 83k
191,231 tests
65.1%
67,000 · 49k to 85k
201,100 tests
64.3%
69,000 · 51k to 87k
21526 tests
65.2%
65,000 · 49k to 83k
City pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Smart City. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Brake lights
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
5.9in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
4.5in 100 tests
Side and tail lights
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
4.4in 100 tests
Exhaust emissions
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
4.4in 100 tests
Headlights
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
3.6in 100 tests
Wiper blades
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
2.9in 100 tests
Screen washers
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
2.7in 100 tests
Suspension bushes
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2.4in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake pipes
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
13.6in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
12.4in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre seriously damaged
11.2in 100 tests
Engine oil leaks
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
11.0in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
10.5in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
5.9in 100 tests
Number plates
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
5.5in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
4.0in 100 tests

What to check on a used City

The parts that come up most often in Smart City MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Brake pipes and hoses
    Look underneath at the metal brake pipes for heavy rust, and at the rubber hoses for cracks or bulges.
  2. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  3. Tyres
    Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
  4. Oil leaks
    Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
  5. Coil springs
    Compare the gap between each tyre and its wheel arch. A corner sitting lower than the others can mean a broken spring.

Check a specific City

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 is the MOT pass rate of the Smart City?
In 2023, 65.3% of 5,850 initial MOT tests on the Smart City ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans.
What fails most often on a Smart City MOT?
The most common failures were brake lights (5.9 in 100 tests), coil springs (4.5 in 100 tests), side and tail lights (4.4 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 15-year-old Smart City?
At 15 years old, the median Smart City at its MOT had covered 61,000 miles, and the middle half had between 49,000 and 77,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Smart City?
The most common advisories were brake pipes (13.6 in 100 tests), brake discs (12.4 in 100 tests), tyres (11.2 in 100 tests).

Other Smart models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Smart models or see every make.

Fortwo78.7%Forfour80.9%City65.3%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

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