TyreSafe says fleet risk specialist Verifleet found Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), or vans, are failing their first mandatory MOT test at double the rate of cars.
The study found that 2021-registered LCVs had a 25.9% failure rate, compared to 12.6% for non-LCVs in the same age group. This safety crisis affects the UK’s record-breaking van fleet of over 5.1 million units.
The data points to systemic neglect, with brakes and tyres identified as the primary failure points. Critically, the analysis underscores that this high failure rate is not random: it is driven by a widespread trend of neglected advisories that escalate into dangerous, MOT-failing faults.
Verifleet’s analysis indicates that a significant percentage of tyre failures on vehicles presented for subsequent MOTs—circa 25%—were previously noted as advisories in earlier MOT checks, confirming that ignored warnings are directly leading to the 25% overall failure rate.
The tyre industry and road safety community have united in agreement that the 25% failure rate is a fundamental lack of preventative maintenance among van operators, not an issue with vehicle components.
