Halifax has one of the highest MOT failure rates in the country

A study of MoT failure rates on behalf of the AA revealed that almost half (46.4 per cent) of vehicles in the city failed the test on their first attempt, putting it among the 20 worst performing areas of the country.

More than one million MOT records of UK registered vehicles owned by AA members, were analysed looking at pass and fail rates, and found that almost half of cars in Halifax (46.4%) failed their last MOT - most for preventable faults such as tyres, headlights and indicators.

Leeds and Huddersfield also feature on the list of 25 highest failures.

Lucy Burnford, Director of Automyze, said: “There could be a number of reasons why MOT failure rates are higher in Dundee, from the length of time people own their cars to the types of vehicle they own.

“However, some basic checks could bring failure rates down and save both time and money. There are multiple reasons why vehicles fail their MOT but the most common are tyres, headlights and indicators, which can be so easily fixed before the statutory roadworthiness test.

“Ahead of your vehicle’s MOT, it’s always worth doing some simple checks yourself to ensure anything straightforward like filling up the screen wash can be fixed in advance of your test. Also, make sure you have addressed any previous ‘advisories’ – that’s the maintenance work recommended by the garage during its last MOT.

“You can check your car’s MOT history and advisories for free using Automyze, and get free quotes to get the work done.”

The 25 towns and cities in the UK with the highest MOT failure (number refers to percentage) rates are:

Dundee: 53.5

Truro: 51.5

Plymouth: 51.3

Exeter: 50.5

Bath: 49.5

Aberdeen: 49.5

Perth: 49.2

Falkirk: 48.4

Hull: 48.3

Torquay: 47.9

Belfast: 47.8

Bristol: 47.5

Edinburgh: 47.4

Cardiff: 47.4

Taunton: 47.4

Inverness: 47.2

Leeds: 47.2

Salisbury: 46.9

Stoke-on-Trent: 46.9

Glasgow: 46.5

Halifax: 46.4

Bournemouth: 46.3

Northampton: 46.2

Lincoln: 46.2

Huddersfield: 46.2