Figures released by the National Car Testing Service for 2013 show that NCT failures are on the increase. 53.4% of cars presented for test failed in 2013 compared to 51.7% in 2012 and 49.4% in 2011.

A total of 1,170,899 tests took place in 2013, up on the 2012 figure of 1,067,985, a further indication of motorists keeping their cars for longer. 545,201 cars passed the test the first time, but a concerning 621,398 were given fail refusals and 4,300 fail dangerous status meaning the vehicle cannot be driven legally on the public road until problems are addressed. 90.6% of cars passed the retest. 

The major test fail faults were identified as:

• Front Suspension
• Tyre Condition
• Brake Line / Hoses
• Stop Lamps
• Steering Linkage

Interestingly, headlamp aim which had always previously appeared in the top five failure reasons has dropped out of the list for the first time.

2013 saw 2009 cars tested for the first time and these achieved an initial pass rate of 73%. Cars first registered in 2007 had a 65% first time pass rate and 2005 and 2003 and older cars had first time pass rates of 53% and 37% respectively.

The figures would seem to indicate that while cars are staying on the road for longer, the majority are still not properly maintained. They also indicate areas of good opportunity for the independent aftermarket, especially in steering and suspension.