84.4%
Tesla Model Y pass rate
Used Tesla Model Y buying guide
In 2025, Tesla Model Y cars passed 84.4% of 34,929 initial MOT tests, 12.1 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific Model Y? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Tesla Model Y MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+12.1
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the Model Y sits 131st of 575 models in the data. Tesla as a brand averaged 83.9%, so this model runs 0.6 points ahead of its own brand.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Tesla Model Y MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the Model Y compares with similar cars.
Model Y fuel types
Most Tesla Model Y cars tested in 2025 were electric. Electric cars need an MOT from three years old like any other car, and their tyres, brakes, suspension and lights are tested the same way.
Where the Model Y fails its MOT
Where Tesla Model Y cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (26.2%), condition has ply or cords exposed (24.6%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (12.4%). See every common Model Y MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Tesla Model Y that failed, not a claim that every Model Y has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used Model Y?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 69.3% of Model Y failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 12.2% of Model Y failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 8.3% of Model Y failure items.
4
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 4.2% of Model Y failure items.
5
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 2.1% of Model Y failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Tesla Model Y failures cluster around tyres and suspension tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact Model Y you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Tesla history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Tesla models
The most-tested Tesla models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the Model Y.
Used Tesla Model Y FAQs
Is the Tesla Model Y reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 84.4% first-time pass rate for the Tesla Model Y across 34,929 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Tesla Model Y?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Tesla Model Y's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.