Strangford Road, Seaham, County Durham, SR7 8QE
MOT test stations in County Durham
5 garages in County Durham (North East, England) are on the DVSA register of approved MOT test stations. 2 of them can test motorcycles, and 2 are approved for class 7 vans up to 3,500kg.
From the DVSA list published 30 Sep 2026. Ring ahead to book; prices are set by the garage, capped at £54.85 for a car.
Station House, Fencehouses, County Durham, DH4 6AA
Unit 6 Esh Winning Industrial Estate, County Durham, DH7 9PT
Unit 6 A Morrison Industrial Estate, New Kyo, Stanley, County Durham, DH9 7RU
Unit 1, Bewick Main, Birtley, County Durham, DH2 1XG
MOT results around County Durham
Cars and light vans tested in the DH (Durham) postcode area failed 22% of first MOT attempts in 2025, 0.6 points below the 22.6% national rate. That’s from 153,480 tests.
What failed most often here, as a share of all tests:
| Area of the car | Here | Nationally |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 10.21% | 8.93% |
| Brakes | 7.33% | 6.1% |
| Lights and electrics | 5.39% | 6.95% |
| Tyres | 4.81% | 5.95% |
The most common cars tested here
| Model | Tests here | Fail rate here | Nationally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 5,657 | 26.9% | 27.3% |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 4,577 | 28.6% | 28.5% |
| Volkswagen Golf | 4,065 | 17.8% | 20.9% |
| Ford Focus | 3,640 | 22.3% | 25.4% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 2,900 | 26.3% | 27% |
| Nissan Qashqai | 2,845 | 26.3% | 26.6% |
| Vauxhall Astra | 2,690 | 25.5% | 27.6% |
| Nissan Juke | 2,325 | 30.3% | 25.6% |
From DVSA’s anonymised MOT results for 2025, by the postcode area of the test station. The data has no garage identifier, so these are figures for the area, not for any one garage. An area with older cars fails more for that reason alone. Every area compared.
What they can test in County Durham
| Class 1 · Motorcycles up to 200cc | 2 |
| Class 2 · Motorcycles over 200cc | 2 |
| Class 4 · Cars, vans and minibuses | 4 |
| Class 5 · Larger minibuses and buses | 1 |
| Class 7 · Goods vehicles 3,000 to 3,500kg | 2 |
Nearby towns
- Chester Le Street 15
- Houghton Le Spring 17
- Washington 15
- Durham 52
- Stanley 14
- Co Durham 4
- Tyne & Wear 9
- Gateshead 44
Need the car’s history before you book? Check its MOT record first.