Following recent research into the most common causes of MOT failures, insurance experts at Howden Insurance found that tyre problems account for nearly one in five test failures nationwide through analysis of MOT test data for cars from the Home Office.
Tyres caused 7,147,058 failed tests, which represented 18.6 per cent of all failures reported by testing stations. Most cars failed because their treads had worn below the legal 1.6mm minimum depth.
Suspension arms ranked second in the failure league. These components caused 2,673,089 cars to fail, or 6.96 per cent of total failures. Testers mainly rejected vehicles with excessively worn pins and bushes.
Following these two components, brake discs and drums came third. The parts racked up 2,207,367 failures, or 5.75 per cent of the total. Seriously weakened brake discs were the primary culprit in this category, posing significant safety risks to drivers and passengers alike.
The fourth spot belonged to brake systems. These caused 1,733,591 MOT disasters, with rigid brake pipes suffering excessive corrosion being the main issue.
Suspension problems followed closely with 1,711,591 failures, typically due to shock absorbers developing serious fluid leaks that compromised vehicle handling and stability during emergency manoeuvres.
Worn brake pads resulted in 1,685,494 failures, where most had pads thinner than 1.5mm. Broken coil springs accounted for another 1,591,337 failures.
Lighting problems left 1,502,224 drivers in the dark, where registration plate lamps not working was the typical issue. Poor visibility caused 1,449,659 failures, usually because wipers couldn't clear windscreens properly.
Anti-roll bar defects completed the top ten with 1,317,492 failures, mainly from excessively worn ball joints.
Following its findings, the insurer has recommended that motorists undertake regular tyre checks as a priority, not just waiting until its time for an MOT to ensure they are safe and legal.
A spokesperson from Howden Insurance said: "Regular tyre checks should be a priority for all drivers, not just before an MOT test but throughout the year. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, but performance begins to decrease significantly below 3mm, especially in wet conditions.
"Most of these failures are preventable with routine vehicle maintenance. Drivers should be especially vigilant about checking tyres, brakes and suspension components, as these make up the majority of MOT failures.
"Taking a few minutes each month to inspect your vehicle or having regular professional checks could save both money and the inconvenience of MOT retests.
"Some items barely register in the failure statistics. Speed limiters, footrests for trikes and quads, and passenger grab handles on buses each accounted for fewer than 50 rejections. These rarely-cited problems stand in stark contrast to the millions of tyre failures that make up the largest category of test rejections nationwide."