So says Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as it points to latest figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) that show 49% of all LCVs presented at testing centres across the UK are still failing to gain an MoT test pass certificate first time. Statistics also show that there has only been a 1% improvement in these results over the last three years.
Analysis by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles of the most common causes of all MOT test failures has found that, in most cases, simple things such as faulty bulbs (32.2%), too little tyre tread (4.8%), faulty mirrors, windscreen wipers, washer fluid or illegal number plates (eight%) were to blame. A further 40% of failures are caused by brake and suspension wear (24.8 and 16.1%) that would normally be detected during routine maintenance.
It added the three main causes of MOT failures – lighting and signalling, brakes and suspension – have remained constant over the past three years, with very little variance in the number of vehicles affected by these problems. While braking issues and tyre defects have shown a slight improvement since 2012, the number of suspension and lighting and signalling faults has risen.
Trevor Hodgson-Phillips, head of service and parts at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, commented: “News that nearly half of all LCVs on the road are still failing their MOT tests first time round is worrying, especially as these figures have shown no change in the past three years. The latest result show us that UK van owners are still risking increased running bills, extended vehicle downtime periods and, potentially, a decrease in the overall resale value of their vehicle by not looking after their van properly.”
He continued: “The road-worthiness of the vehicle is also something that business owners should be thinking about. Should an accident occur and the vehicle deemed to be below standard, company owners could be left facing hefty fines or even prison terms. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is working to help van owners to combat this problem by offering a number of aftersales support services enabling customers to keep on top of their routine maintenance and ensure their vehicles are always fit-for-purpose.”
