Cars With the Worst Electrical Faults
The models that record electrical faults defects at MOT most often, from DVSA test data.
Of the models with at least 5,000 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026, the Land Rover Defender records the most electrical defects and advisories: 8 per 100 tests against a UK average of 1.1 per 100 tests across 31,238 tests.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Counts include advisories as well as failure items, and older fleets naturally record more wear.
| Rank | Model | Items per 100 tests | Times UK average | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Land Rover Defender | 8 | 7.3x | 31,238 |
| 2 | Volkswagen Caravelle | 4 | 3.6x | 5,337 |
| 3 | Citroen Xsara | 3.6 | 3.3x | 7,237 |
| 4 | Toyota Verso | 3.4 | 3.1x | 5,186 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Shogun | 3.2 | 2.9x | 6,953 |
| 6 | Suzuki Jimny | 3.1 | 2.8x | 5,878 |
| 7 | Volkswagen Touran | 2.8 | 2.6x | 14,360 |
| 8 | Peugeot 307 | 2.7 | 2.4x | 7,919 |
| 9 | Vauxhall Zafira | 2.6 | 2.3x | 41,774 |
| 10 | Suzuki Grand Vitara | 2.5 | 2.3x | 5,564 |
| 11 | Land Rover Discovery | 2.4 | 2.2x | 35,598 |
| 12 | Ford Galaxy | 2.4 | 2.1x | 12,125 |
| 13 | Ford S-Max | 2.3 | 2.1x | 15,411 |
| 14 | Suzuki Alto | 2.3 | 2.1x | 10,853 |
| 15 | Peugeot 208 | 2.1 | 1.9x | 30,594 |
| 16 | Ford Grand C-Max | 2.1 | 1.9x | 6,153 |
| 17 | Mitsubishi Colt | 2 | 1.8x | 6,145 |
| 18 | Dacia Duster | 1.9 | 1.8x | 8,892 |
| 19 | Mazda MX-5 | 1.9 | 1.7x | 26,924 |
| 20 | Peugeot 206 | 1.9 | 1.7x | 13,168 |
| 21 | Dacia Sandero | 1.8 | 1.6x | 14,657 |
| 22 | Toyota Rav-4 | 1.8 | 1.6x | 7,650 |
| 23 | Toyota Corolla | 1.7 | 1.6x | 16,687 |
| 24 | Fiat Punto | 1.7 | 1.5x | 12,890 |
| 25 | Honda Accord | 1.7 | 1.5x | 6,941 |
Items are every electrical defect and advisory recorded, grouped from the tester's notes. Methodology.