Car drivers in Wales might be tempted to take their cars across the border after a report revealed that one in five cars from the Principality fail their MOT test.

The research, which has been carried out tyre supplier and fitters, Protyre, shows that the North West of England is the best place to pass an MOT, with 95% of cars passing in that region of the UK.

Wales’ terrible pass figures may be more to do with the state of the country’s roads than the actual quality of their cars, earlier this year Swansea Council reported a £54 million backlog on road maintenance. The city’s MOT pass rate is a shocking 60%, compared to the average pass rate of 90%.

Simon Hiorns, Protyre Retail Director said: “Our research highlights the difference in MOT pass rates across the country and how important it is for drivers to keep up regular checks on their motors, especially as we’re heading into the wintery months now. The user-friendly MOT Failure Hotspot Map offers motorists Protyre’s experienced regional insight with data from the DVSA, to help drivers think about their safety on the roads and make informed decisions about their next MOT.”

Protyre’s research looked at data from hundreds of garages across the UK, and even looked at factors such as the car colour most likely to fail, which is green, with one in three failing. Bronze coloured cars are the most likely to pass with an 81% pass rate.

The best ranked car for passing MOT tests is the Nissan Qashqai with an 83% pass rate, compared to the popular Vauxhall Astra, which fails almost 30% of the time.

Sell or part ex your car today