Telford named one of the most difficult areas to pass MOT tests
Vehicle owners wanting their motors to pass their MOTs may want to avoid Telford.
The town has one of the lowest pass rates in the country, with staff at one garage recording up to 15 fails a day.
Research by A-Plan Insurance shows the most recent data, taken from gov.uk, on MOT tests and their outcomes revealed the areas of the UK with the highest and lowest percentage of pass rates.
Telford was tenth from bottom, with a pass rate of 77.21 per cent, while the Powys town of Llandrindod Wells was eighth from last with a pass rate of 76.67 per cent. Kirkcaldy, in Scotland, had the lowest rate of all with just 72.89 per cent of vehicles passing.
Taking the top spot with the highest pass rate for an MOT is Enfield, London with an average rate of 87.04 per cent, nearly 7 per cent higher than the national average.
Service advisor Jake, from Peter Morris Cars Ltd, Wrekin Road, said: "It's so hard to say why cars fail their MOT tests. It depends on how the car has been looked after, really, although bad roads and potholes don't help. We often see damaged springs, which can be caused by potholes and bad roads. But passing your MOT does depend on a whole lot of factors."
Corey Vale, from Madeley Testing Station on Heath Hill, said the main cause for concern is Telford's road conditions and number of roundabouts. Madeley garage has three testing bays, each one testing "around ten cars a day". Out of 30 cars a day, Corey said, up to 15 of them could fail.
He added: "Some days we see up to 15 cars fail its MOT, that's the worst case scenario. But other days we might just see four or five.
"Most cars suffer with suspension components due to bad road conditions. Everyone I know has said the roads are so bad around here, and there are a lot of roundabouts which, if you go around them with speed, will quickly cause wear and tear to your car. That goes for excessive speed bumps as well which don't help cars last very long, if they're driven over at speed.
"We also see corrosion issues, just because of the country we live in, it's air quality and weather, or if someone lives near a beach.
Corey said they see "a lot" cars with damage from excessive play – where the steering wheel can be turned more than one to one and a half inches without the wheels rotating – as well as damage to lower arm back bushes – these absorb the shocks from bumps in the road and prevent metal-to-metal contact.
Commenting on the figures, a spokesperson for A-Plan Insurance said: "An MOT checks that your vehicle meets the road safety and environmental standards and is a requirement by law, but it is a particularly easy test to fail.
"Small ways to fail your MOT include your screen wash not being filled up or having a lit-up warning light on the dashboard; ensure that you have checked both of these things before heading off for your test.
"It is suggested that if an area is offering low costs for the MOT itself, you will incur higher costs for the parts that need fixing and/or replacing which is something we advise to be aware of."
It also suggest the average repair bill is £272, with a government limit of £54.85 for the service.
Areas with the highest MOT pass rates
Enfield – 87.04 per cent
East London – 86.47 per cent
Romford – 85.70 per cent
Southall – 85.66 per cent
South East London – 85.63 per cent
Slough – 85.59 per cent
Bromley – 85.47 per cent
Twickenham – 85.45 per cent
Ilford – 85.44 per cent
Dartford – 85.31 per cent
Areas with the lowest MOT pass rates
Kirkcaldy – 72.89 per cent
Dundee – 73.97 per cent
Truro – 74.57 per cent
Plymouth – 74.76 per cent
Aberdeen – 75.92 per cent
Exeter – 76.22 per cent
Torquay – 76.27 per cent
Llandrindod Wells – 76.67 per cent
Perth – 76.70 per cent
Telford – 77.21 per cent
