MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Tesla Model 3 — MOT statistics 2024

All Tesla Model 3 variants tested in Great Britain in 2024 — 116,025 MOT tests, every generation and engine together.

MOT risk index
122.9
100 = normal for its age

This car fails its MOT about 23% more often than expected for its age.

Rank 22 of 25 families published so far · margin of error ±2 points

What this means for buyers

Checklist when viewing a used Model 3:
  1. Check tyre tread depth across the full width
  2. Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
  3. Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view

Top specific failures

Exact defect wording from test records, per 100 tests.

What failedper 100
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements9.57
A tyre cords visible or damaged6.28
A tyre seriously damaged4.87
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn2.8
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view2.32
Wiper blade defective1.13
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements1.02
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative0.7
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel0.59
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements0.5

Failures by component area

Tyres 21.8 Visibility 4.4 Suspension 3 Lamps & electrical 2.7 Brakes 0.9 Road Wheels 0.7

Early warnings (advisories)

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres 95.1 Brakes 34.7 Suspension 17.4 Non-component advisories 7.8 Road Wheels 4.1 Identification of the vehicle 0.7

How it ages

3579111315171946%car age, years

Takeaway: solid line: this family; dashed: all cars.

Data table
AgeTesla Model 3All cars
313.8%10.9%
414.4%11.6%
514.8%13.5%

Where they fail most

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. Raw rates: coastal and rural areas run older fleets and salted roads.

Redhill (RH): 20.7% failing, 1,234 testsBristol (BS): 20.5% failing, 1,985 testsBrighton (BN): 20.2% failing, 946 testsGuildford (GU): 20.2% failing, 1,764 testsSwindon (SN): 20.1% failing, 809 testsGloucester (GL): 19% failing, 1,304 testsMedway (ME): 18.2% failing, 1,210 testsOxford (OX): 18.1% failing, 5,371 testsMilton Keynes (MK): 17.5% failing, 2,366 testsPortsmouth (PO): 17.3% failing, 954 testsChelmsford (CM): 17.2% failing, 1,915 testsIpswich (IP): 16.3% failing, 884 testsReading (RG): 15.9% failing, 2,455 testsWarrington (WA): 15.9% failing, 1,312 testsPeterborough (PE): 15.6% failing, 2,506 testsCambridge (CB): 15.2% failing, 875 testsNorthampton (NN): 15.2% failing, 2,091 testsEdinburgh (EH): 15.2% failing, 1,484 testsHemel Hempstead (HP): 15% failing, 1,602 testsStevenage (SG): 14.7% failing, 1,138 testsCoventry (CV): 14.7% failing, 1,682 testsBournemouth (BH): 14.6% failing, 1,161 testsNewcastle (NE): 14.3% failing, 1,514 testsTonbridge (TN): 14.2% failing, 1,293 testsDerby (DE): 14% failing, 1,993 testsGlasgow (G): 13.7% failing, 1,871 testsBirmingham (B): 13.6% failing, 3,146 testsStockport (SK): 13.5% failing, 1,254 testsLeeds (LS): 13.5% failing, 1,549 testsLondon NW (NW): 13.3% failing, 2,882 testsSlough (SL): 13.1% failing, 1,124 testsCardiff (CF): 13.1% failing, 1,582 testsNottingham (NG): 12.6% failing, 2,229 testsManchester (M): 12.4% failing, 1,742 testsDoncaster (DN): 12.3% failing, 1,487 testsTwickenham (TW): 12.1% failing, 1,186 testsChester (CH): 11.9% failing, 1,029 testsStoke-on-Trent (ST): 11.5% failing, 1,093 testsLeicester (LE): 11.4% failing, 2,356 testsCleveland (TS): 11.3% failing, 820 testsKingston upon Thames (KT): 11.1% failing, 1,431 testsSheffield (S): 10.9% failing, 2,152 testsSouthampton (SO): 10.7% failing, 1,627 testsLondon SE (SE): 10.6% failing, 1,655 testsRomford (RM): 10.5% failing, 860 testsHarrow (HA): 10.4% failing, 1,185 testsLondon W (W): 10.2% failing, 1,191 testsDartford (DA): 9.6% failing, 1,099 testsCroydon (CR): 9.5% failing, 994 testsLondon SW (SW): 9.3% failing, 1,111 testsEnfield (EN): 9.2% failing, 936 testsLondon N (N): 9.2% failing, 996 testsWalsall (WS): 9.2% failing, 1,317 testsHull (HU): 7.9% failing, 1,773 testsBolton (BL): 7.4% failing, 1,183 testsUxbridge (UB): 7.2% failing, 1,341 testsLondon E (E): 6.3% failing, 1,746 tests % failing 7% 20%
Toughest areas% failing
Oxford (OX)18.08%
Milton Keynes (MK)17.5%
Reading (RG)15.93%
Peterborough (PE)15.56%
Northampton (NN)15.21%
Easiest areas% failing
Sheffield (S)10.87%
Leicester (LE)11.42%
Nottingham (NG)12.56%
London NW (NW)13.25%
Birmingham (B)13.6%

Does the test month matter?

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 3.1 percentage points — noticeable seasonality.

13.39% in month 1 J12.6% in month 2 F13.1% in month 3 M13.76% in month 4 A13.33% in month 5 M14.48% in month 6 J14.56% in month 7 J13.72% in month 8 A14.5% in month 9 S14.3% in month 10 O13.84% in month 11 N15.65% in month 12 D 29% 11%

bars: Tesla Model 3 · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthTesla Model 3All cars
Jan13.39%27.37%
Feb12.6%26.14%
Mar13.1%24.75%
Apr13.76%26.01%
May13.33%25.01%
Jun14.48%25.01%
Jul14.56%26.04%
Aug13.72%25.79%
Sep14.5%25.19%
Oct14.3%27.13%
Nov13.84%27.2%
Dec15.65%26.29%

Is the mileage normal?

A typical 4-year-old Model 3 has ~40,192 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
323,84133,62846,40352,881
429,56940,19254,45541,575
533,26045,19960,69418,220

Quick answers

What most commonly fails on a Tesla Model 3 MOT?
The most frequent specific failures in 2024 were: tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements; a tyre cords visible or damaged; a tyre seriously damaged.
Is the Tesla Model 3 reliable for its age?
Across 116,025 initial tests in 2024, it fails its MOT about 23% more often than expected for its age (MOT Risk Index 122.9, where 100 = normal for its age).
What mileage is normal for a 4-year-old Model 3?
The median is about 40,192 miles; the middle half of the fleet sits between 29,569 and 54,455.
How often are dangerous defects found on the Tesla Model 3?
About 18 dangerous defects were recorded per 100 initial tests in 2024 — with a dangerous defect the car legally cannot be driven away.

Compare with

Mitsubishi Outlander · 100.5DS 3 · 150.2Nissan Leaf · 109.2Honda E · 84.6

Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dvsa-2024-v1, frozen baseline. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Tesla Model 3 MOT statistics 2024 (dvsa-2024-v1). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/tesla-model-3/ · Published 2026-07-30.