Does the Tesla Model 3 fail the MOT on vehicle identification more than it should?
The Tesla Model 3 records 0.37 vehicle identification failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.26 expected for a ev of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (+0.11, 95% interval +0.07 to +0.15). It ranks 212 of 636 models on vehicle identification (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on vehicle identification · check a Tesla Model 3 by registration
What exactly fails on vehicle identification?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Tesla Model 3 is “Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements”, recorded 347 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements | 347 | 0.31 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 110,834 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Tesla Model 3 2019 · Tesla Model 3 2020 · Tesla Model 3 in Finland · Tesla Model 3 in the Netherlands · Tesla Model 3 in Norway · Tesla Model 3 by postcode area · Tesla Model 3 body, chassis and structure failures · Tesla Model 3 brakes failures · Tesla Model 3 lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Tesla Model 3 road wheels failures · Tesla Model 3 seat belts and airbags failures · Tesla Model 3 suspension failures · Tesla Model 3 tyres failures · Tesla Model 3 visibility failures