More than a quarter of UK vans are failing their first MOT test, with new data revealing that Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) now fail at double the rate of cars — a trend TyreSafe says is being driven by neglected maintenance and ignored advisories.
Analysis of 2024 MOT data by TyreSafe, using proprietary risk metrics from fleet specialist Verifleet, shows that 2021-registered vans recorded a first-time MOT failure rate of 25.9%, compared with 12.6% for non-LCVs of the same age.
With the UK van parc now at a record 5.1 million vehicles, the findings point to growing safety and operational risks across the sector.
Brakes and tyres driving failure rates
The data shows that brakes and tyres are the most common reasons for MOT failure, with Verifleet identifying a direct link between ignored advisories and eventual test failures.
Around 25% of tyre failures recorded at MOT had previously been flagged as advisories, confirming that many faults are being left to deteriorate rather than being addressed early.
Stuart Lovatt, chair of TyreSafe, said the figures should act as a clear warning to operators: “Verifleet’s data is a flashing amber light for the entire van sector. Our primary concern is that a quarter of tyre failures were previously noted as advisories.
“This means fleet managers had a documented warning and chose to gamble,” added Lovatt. “As the only contact point between the vehicle and the road, a tyre advisory ignored on a loaded van is a critical safety gamble. Simple, regular checks save lives and prevent breakdowns.”
A business decision to defer maintenance
Industry bodies are united in pointing to maintenance practices — not product quality — as the root cause of the problem.
Darren Lindsey, CEO of the British Tyre Manufacturers Association (BTMA), said modern commercial tyres are built to high standards, but only deliver their intended safety performance when properly maintained. He added that the high failure rate reflects insufficient care by operators rather than any manufacturing defect.
From the frontline of tyre servicing, Ian Andrew, CEO of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA), was even more direct: “Our members see these neglected advisories every day. The 25% failure rate is a direct reflection of businesses choosing to defer necessary vehicle maintenance rather than investing in timely, professional attention.
“This decision inevitably leads to unnecessary call-outs, unplanned downtime and missed deliveries, directly impacting the bottom line. We urge all LCV operators to ensure their drivers are conducting their daily walk-around checks.”
Alfred Graham of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association (ITMA) added that the scale of the problem is unacceptable across the whole tyre supply chain, pointing again to a lack of preventative maintenance and failure to act on advisories.
Growing fleet, growing risk
The concern is magnified by the sheer size and continued growth of the UK van fleet. According to SMMT figures, there are now 5,102,180 vans on the road, up 1.8% year-on-year, with more than a million added since 2015. Van traffic has also increased by 82% over the last 25 years.
National Highways warned that the implications go far beyond individual businesses.
Mark Cartwright, the agency’s head of commercial vehicle incident prevention, said: “A vehicle breakdown on the Strategic Road Network is not just a commercial inconvenience; it’s a major cause of congestion and poses a significant risk to road users. When one in four vans is found to be non-compliant, it translates directly into avoidable safety incidents and hours of disruption for the five million-plus vehicles that are essential to the UK economy.”
Three-point call to action for operators
In response to the findings, TyreSafe
, alongside BTMA, ITMA, National Highways and Verifleet, has issued a clear call to action for fleet operators and business owners:
- Introduce six-monthly safety inspections focusing on high-risk components such as tyres and brakes, rather than relying solely on the annual MOT.
- Adopt a zero-tolerance approach to advisories, with all warnings formally documented and rectified.
- Use data-led risk management tools to identify vehicles showing patterns of neglect or high-risk use.
Richard Stowe, director at Verifleet, said the data leaves little room for doubt: “The 25% MOT failure rate is a direct consequence of ignoring minor advisories until they become dangerous, costly failures. We have the data to pinpoint these risks, and now the industry must commit to a data-led, proactive maintenance culture.”
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