Bottom 10 cars overall for first MOT pass rate (Source: HonestJohn.co.uk)

Citroen Grand C4 Picasso
63% pass rate
By far the worst performer when it comes to passing the first MOT is the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, with a pass rate of 63%. Almost a third of failures were down to lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, more specifically head lights and brake lights. Other cause were problems with the electric parking brake and, worryingly, passenger and driver seats.

Volkswagen Touran
76% pass rate
Volkswagen owners are unlikely to be happy to see several models in the bottom 10 cars. Especially given the reputation the brand has for build quality and reliability. Only three quarters of all Touran models tested passed with the causes for failure ranging from small issues like registration plate lights to more serious things like suspension and sub-frames.

Volkswagen Passat
76% pass rate
The Passat is the third worst performing car when it comes to passing its first MOT. Shock absorbers and suspension components seem to be more common reason for failure compared to other cars but most owners would expect better from VW.

Ford Galaxy
77% pass rate
Given the sheer number of Ford cars on the road it's perhaps surprising to not see more models from the manufacturer in the bottom 10. The Galaxy people carrier, a favourite among the more upmarket private hire firms, tends to fail on headlights, brake lights and indicators.

SEAT Ibiza
77% pass rate
The Ibiza shares much of its underpinnings and mechanicals with the Volkswagen Polo which also features in this bottom 10. The main reasons for failing the MOT were driver's view of the road, which means a cracked or chipped windscreen, along with wipers and tyres. Seemingly all simple and obvious things to check.

Citroen C3 Picasso
77% pass rate
Given that they're typical family transport it's unexpected that MPVs feature in the bottom 10 cars here. Although given the rigours of the school run and often lots of short journeys, it's perhaps less of a surprise. Once again the main reason for failing was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment with brake lights being a particular issue.

Renault Megane
77% pass rate
Many Meganes failed on lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment - a common area for cars to fail their first MOT on - but more worrying for Megane owners was a higher than average failure rate on suspension and drive shafts.

Peugeot 308
77% pass rate
The new 308 has just been launched in the UK and Peugeot will no doubt be hoping the model performs better when it comes to its first MOT after three years than its predecessor does. True this is a popular company car so you could argue that wear and tear is increased, but cars like the Mazda3 are similar and yet that has a pass rate of 88%.

Volkswagen Polo
78% pass rate
Not many people would have predicted Volkswagen featuring in the bottom 10 cars for passing their MOT first time. One thing you can say about the Polo is that the number tested, almost 30,000 cars in total, is far greater than any other model in this list. That said it's still a surprise to see a pass rate of less than 80% for the popular hatchback.

Fiat 500
80% pass rate
The popular Fiat 500 is a choice among younger drivers and this perhaps explains the lower MOT pass rate. Younger drivers can be harder on their cars and routine maintenance is sometimes neglected due to the costs.