Tried and tested: the UK’s best and worst vans for passing their mots

The Fiat Doblo is the best van for passing the first-three-year MoT test, according to Government figures obtained by Honest John Vans.

The site revealed that the Turkish-built panel van is the best by far when it comes to breezing through the first MoT, with 84% of vans registered in 2013 passing in 2016. In second place (and pick of the pick-ups) is the Ford Ranger with 81% passing first MoT at three-years, while the Toyota Hi-Lux is third with an average pass rate of 80%.

But Briatin’s best-selling van, the Ford Transit, is the UK’s worst for passing the first MoT, with just 64% of vans registered in 2013 passing in 2016. Pass rates for the Citroen Dispatch, Vauxhall Movano and Citroen Relay are also disappointing.

The van website analysed millions of MoT records from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), as HonestJohn.co.uk published the MoT Files for the first time in three years, following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request and a protracted fight with the DVSA to make the data public.

Success in this long-running battle means that, for the first time in years, van owners, operators and small businesses have detailed access to the latest MoT records and reasons for failure. It has been published in full at vans.honestjohn.co.uk/mot-results

On average, almost 30% of vans will fail the first MoT, with lighting, brakes and tyres among the most-common failure points, which will cause worry for motorists as the Government pushes ahead with its consultation to extend the annual roadworthiness test for vans from three to four years.

Daniel Powell Managing Editor of HonestJohn.co.uk said: “On the face of it, MoT pass rates for vans are much lower than that of cars. However, it’s important to note that an average van will cover almost twice as many miles as a car over the first three years of its life.

“Obviously, the Government’s proposal to extend the first MoT from three to four years will cause concern. Especially when you consider that almost 30% of all vans will fail the first MoT on brakes, lighting and tyres.”

Top five causes of failure during a van’s first MoT at three years

1) Lighting -39,000 failures

2) Driver’s view of the road – 14,000 failures

3) Brakes – 12,000 failures

4) Tyres – 9000 failures

5) Suspension – 7000 failures

Top five vans for passing the first MoT

1) Fiat Doblo – 84%

2) Ford Ranger – 81%

3) Toyota Hilux – 80%

4) Isuzu D-Max – 80%

5) Nissan Navara – 79%

Bottom five vans for passing the first MoT

1) Ford Transit – 64% pass rate

2) Citroen Dispatch – 66% pass rate

3) Vauxhall Movano – 67% pass rate

4) Citroen Relay – 67% pass rate

5) Nissan NV200 – 68% pass rate