Cars With the Worst Tyre Failures
The models that record tyre failures 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 Ford Grand C-Max records the most tyres defects and advisories: 66.8 per 100 tests against a UK average of 45.3 per 100 tests across 6,153 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 | Ford Grand C-Max | 66.8 | 1.5x | 6,153 |
| 2 | Ford S-Max | 65.5 | 1.4x | 15,411 |
| 3 | Alfa Romeo Giulietta | 61 | 1.3x | 5,214 |
| 4 | Volkswagen Touran | 59.1 | 1.3x | 14,360 |
| 5 | Ford Galaxy | 58.6 | 1.3x | 12,125 |
| 6 | Vauxhall Insignia | 57 | 1.3x | 31,551 |
| 7 | Dacia Sandero | 56.6 | 1.2x | 14,657 |
| 8 | Jaguar XF | 56.5 | 1.2x | 21,315 |
| 9 | Audi A1 | 56.4 | 1.2x | 36,502 |
| 10 | Ford C-Max | 56.4 | 1.2x | 21,681 |
| 11 | Peugeot 3008 | 56.4 | 1.2x | 19,744 |
| 12 | Kia Sportage | 56.4 | 1.2x | 39,475 |
| 13 | Volkswagen Passat | 56 | 1.2x | 35,161 |
| 14 | Hyundai Tucson | 55.8 | 1.2x | 12,979 |
| 15 | Peugeot 308 | 55.7 | 1.2x | 25,117 |
| 16 | Volvo V50 | 55.7 | 1.2x | 7,693 |
| 17 | Citroen C4 | 55.6 | 1.2x | 25,376 |
| 18 | Hyundai IX35 | 55.6 | 1.2x | 10,459 |
| 19 | Audi A5 | 55.3 | 1.2x | 22,471 |
| 20 | Mercedes-Benz CLA | 55.3 | 1.2x | 7,541 |
| 21 | Citroen DS3 | 55.2 | 1.2x | 18,325 |
| 22 | Ford Kuga | 54.9 | 1.2x | 39,499 |
| 23 | Vauxhall Zafira | 54.8 | 1.2x | 41,774 |
| 24 | Kia Ceed | 54.7 | 1.2x | 20,867 |
| 25 | Renault Captur | 54.5 | 1.2x | 20,324 |
Items are every tyres defect and advisory recorded, grouped from the tester's notes. Methodology.