Honest John Vans has crunched Government data to uncover the UK’s most reliable pick-ups for passing the first MoT at three years.
A failed MoT can be a costly nightmare for builders. Not only will it put your vehicle off the road, leaving you without a works vehicle, but the repair costs can run into the thousands and dent your profits. That’s why Honest John Vans has crunched the official numbers to uncover the most reliable pick-ups for passing the MoT.
The van advice website has analysed millions of MoT pass and failure rates from the DVSA – Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. It found that a quarter of a million vans and pick-ups had their first MoT test in 2017, with 61,000 failing due to potentially dangerous defects.
It’s no secret that the humble pick-up lives a hard and difficult life. According to the latest MoT test data, the average vehicle will have covered 47,000 miles by the time it has its first test at three years, while a car will have covered 26,000 miles over the same amount of time. As a result, just one in four pass the first MoT test at three years, compared to one in six cars.
Top five pick-ups for passing the first MoT
1) Volkswagen Amarok – 84.2% MoT pass rate
The Amarok sails through its MoT test with excellent pass rates for both tyre and brake wear. Suspension problems – a bugbear for many pick-ups, due to the weight they often carry – is also reassuringly low, with a failure rate that’s below one per cent.
2) Ford Ranger – 81.0% MoT pass rate
It might be the UK’s best-selling pick-up, but the Ranger can’t match its VW rival when it comes to the MoT. Pass rates are generally good, with tyre and brake wear being up to 50 per cent better than average, but suspension issues drag the overall score down with leaf spring wear being eight times worse than other pick-ups.
3) Toyota Hilux – 80.9% MoT pass rate
Given its steadfast reputation for reliability, some might be surprised to see the Toyota Hilux in third place when it comes to MoT pass rates. However, steering problems and suspension wear prevents the Hilux from climbing any higher than 80.9 per cent. That said, eight out of 10 still pass at the first time of asking, which is impressive.
4) Isuzu D-Max– 80.5% MoT pass rate
The D-Max’s MoT score would be higher, if it were not for hundreds of models failing due to a relatively small fog light defect. That aside, the Isuzu is a strong MoT performer with low failure rates for exhaust, fuel and emissions. Brake and tyre wear are also low, with the D-Max performing up to 43 per cent better than average.
5) Nissan Navara– 79.0% MoT pass rate
By 2014 the Nissan Navara was on the verge of being replaced with an all-new version. However, despite getting on in terms of age, the Navara remains a strong performer at the MoT test. Indeed, models having their first ever MoT boast an average pass rate of 79 per cent, with exceptionally low failures rates on lighting and electrical equipment.
MoT failure categories
The DVSA introduced new defect categories for the MoT in 2018, with test faults being listed as Minor, Major or Dangerous.
Any van or pick-up that gets a Dangerous fault will automatically fail and be deemed illegal to be driven on the road. A Major fault will also result in a fail and be subject to a repair and retest. Minor defects are considered along the same lines as advisories, allowing the vehicle to pass with the faults being noted to the MoT history.
