MOT emissions test failure rate increased rapidly after tougher rules introduced
Since the Government introduced changes to the MOT test on 20th May 2018, emissions test failures have almost doubled.
If there is any smoke/colour coming from the exhaust or signs of a tampered diesel particulate, the new test gives a ‘major fault’.
Nearly 745,000 cars have subsequently failed the emissions test whereas in the same period in 2017, there was 350,000.
Diesel cars have seen the biggest percentage increase in failure rate.
Around 58,000 diesels failed the MOT emissions test in 2017, which then rose to almost 240,000 cars.
Around 290,000 petrol cars failed the MOT emissions test in 2017, which has then rose to over half a million due to an extra 213,000 more cars failing this year.
Diesel van emission test failures increased rapidly by 448%.
Gareth Llewellyn, chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, said: “Since introducing the new tighter MOT emissions test in May, nearly 750,000 vehicles have been taken off the road or fixed.”