Why older cars fail the MOT, and what to check at 10 years
30 May 2026·4 min read·Updated 10 August 2026
The age curve
Failure rates are lowest in the first three years and rise in every bracket after, with a clear step around 7 to 9 years. The 20-plus band fails most. The band-by-band chart is on the MOT failure rates by vehicle age page.
What goes wrong at 10 years
Around ten years, several life-cycle jobs arrive at once. Brake pipes can rust from the inside where the outside still looks clean. Suspension bushes perish. Exhausts rot at the joints. Sills and inner arches start to corrode. You will not spot most of it without a ramp and a torch.
- Brake pipes and hoses: rust and chafing are fails
- Suspension bushes and drop links: a knock over bumps is the early sign
- Exhaust seams and boxes: a blowing joint or hole in a silencer fails
- Sills, subframes and jacking points: corrosion in load-bearing areas
The maths still favours the old car
An older car that fails usually needs £200 to £600 of work, which is still less than replacing it. The trick is to find the £80 bush in January rather than meet it on MOT day. An hour under the car once a year catches most of what will fail.