10,073 tests in 2025
Tesla Model S reliability and MOT pass rate
81.5% passed first time. The 18.5% fail rate is 4.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 81,837 miles.
Pass rate
81.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
81,837 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 878 | 16.5% |
| 6-9 years | 7,449 | 17.6% |
| 10-13 years | 1,746 | 23.5% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Model S fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres1,044 dangerous48.7%
- Suspension35 dangerous30.1%
- Brakes150 dangerous14.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous13.8%
- Visibility1 dangerous12.4%
- Steering15 dangerous10.2%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous5.9%
- Identification of the vehicle2.2%
Is the Model S getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5.7 points to 18.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (6.6 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 9,150 | 5 | 13.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 9,361 | 6 | 16% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 8,217 | 7 | 18.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,749 | 8 | 18.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Model S at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Model S in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm317 tests
- 2Condition: has ply or cords exposed306 tests
- 3Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn228 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords192 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn191 tests
- 6Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play166 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively92 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick88 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Model S collects 2.54 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,841 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened893 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick873 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn737 tests
- 5Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn620 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords357 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm279 tests
- 8Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure238 tests
Questions
What is the Tesla Model S MOT pass rate?
81.5% of the 10,073 Tesla Model S first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Tesla Model S usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 317 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has ply or cords exposed" and "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn". By section, tyres appears in 48.7% of failures, suspension appears in 30.1% of failures, brakes appears in 14.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 16.5%; at 10-13 years it was 23.5%. The median Tesla Model S tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 81,837 miles.
Is the Tesla Model S getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5.7 points to 18.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (6.6 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Model S trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 8 safety recalls naming the Tesla Model S: Tesla Model S recalls.
Other Tesla models
Checking a particular Model S?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.