84.5%
Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model 3 MOT pass rate and common problems
The Tesla Model 3 passed 84.5% of its initial MOT tests in 2025, 12.2 percentage points above the 72.3% UK average. The item testers recorded most often was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm.
Checking a specific car? Its own results, advisories and recorded mileages are in a free MOT history check.
How the Model 3 compares
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded. A car that failed and was repaired at the test station counts as a fail.
83.9%
Tesla average
72.3%
UK average, all cars
The Model 3 runs 0.6 points ahead of the Tesla average. It is 1st of the 4 Tesla models in the data. The average Model 3 arrived at its test 4.2 years old with 50,988 miles recorded.
A pass rate records whether cars met the roadworthiness standard on test day. It is not a reliability score, and part of any gap reflects how old the tested cars were.
Model 3 MOT pass rate by age
The same 2025 tests split by the car's age at test.
Tesla Model 3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 84.4% of MOT tests. For cars aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 80.6%, a drop of 3.8 percentage points.
| Age at test | Tests | Pass rate | vs UK average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 70,231 | 84.4% | 12.1 pts above |
| 6 to 10 years | 2,369 | 80.6% | 8.3 pts above |
| 11 years and over (small sample) | 1 | 100% | 27.7 pts above |
That is a smaller decline than most cars show. The UK average of 72.3% covers cars of every age, so compare like with like.
Where Model 3 failures cluster
Every failure item recorded on Tesla Model 3 cars in 2025, grouped into the DVSA's test areas.
Tyres and suspension together account for 79.3% of recorded failure items. These are recorded failures across the model, not faults every car has.
The 10 most common Model 3 MOT failures
Specific items recorded on Tesla Model 3 cars that failed their 2025 MOT, as a share of all recorded failure items.
Together these 10 items make up 82.2% of everything testers recorded against failed Tesla Model 3 cars. The rest is spread across many smaller items, and one failed test often records several at once.
What to look at on a Model 3
The recorded failures above, grouped by area, biggest first.
1
Tyres
Recorded most often: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, condition has ply or cords exposed, condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative and condition has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. 62.5% of failure items.
2
Suspension
Recorded most often: pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn and ball joint excessively worn. 12% of failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Recorded most often: headlamp aim too low and headlamp aim too high. 5.5% of failure items.
4
Visibility
Recorded most often: washers provides insufficient washer liquid. 2.2% of failure items.
The car's own MOT history matters more than any model average. A free MOT history check shows whether a specific Model 3 has failed on these items before, or had them noted as advisories. Buying one? See the used Tesla Model 3 buying guide.
Already found one?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Tesla Model 3 MOT FAQs
What is the Tesla Model 3 MOT pass rate?
84.5% of Tesla Model 3 cars passed their initial MOT first time in 2025, from 87,484 tests. That is 12.2 percentage points above the 72.3% average for all cars, and ranks 129th of 575 models.
What does a Tesla Model 3 most commonly fail its MOT on?
The item testers recorded most often on Tesla Model 3 cars failing their 2025 MOT was tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, on 26.4% of failure items. Next were condition has ply or cords exposed (17.7%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (12.4%).
Which area causes the most Tesla Model 3 MOT failures?
Across every recorded failure item, the largest area was tyres at 66.3%, followed by suspension at 12.9%.
Do older Tesla Model 3 cars fail their MOT more often?
Tesla Model 3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 84.4% of MOT tests in 2025, against 80.6% for cars aged 6 to 10 years.
Does this mean every Tesla Model 3 has these problems?
No. These are the items testers recorded across every Tesla Model 3 that failed in 2025. They show where the model most often needs attention, not the condition of any individual car.
How do I see a specific Tesla Model 3's MOT history?
Enter its registration on the free Carpeep MOT history check to see that car's own test results, failures, advisories and recorded mileages.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025: class 4 initial tests, retests excluded, with failure items from failed tests (advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.