The first MOT is the only one
that's about the car, not the owner.
By the time most used cars reach their second or third MOT, the result is as much about how they've been maintained as how they were built. The first MOT, at three years old, removes that variable entirely. BIB ranks every UK model by it.
Every car at three years old is on an equal footing.
At three years old, a car hasn't had the chance to be neglected. It's had one or two owners at most, typically covered low mileage, and has been serviced within the manufacturer's warranty. No previous owner has skipped services for years. The tyres may still be original.
So when a car fails its first MOT, that says something very specific: not about the owner, not about the mileage - about how it was built. Poor materials, weak components, inconsistent manufacturing - these show up here before anything else can explain them away.
Build quality issues. Weak components or inconsistent assembly that shows up early - before age or neglect becomes a factor.
The model was built well. A car that holds together when it's nearly new is a strong signal of how it'll hold together as it ages.
A number you can hold onto.
#12 out of 816 models. That's not a vague score - it's exactly where your model sits in the national ranking, based on first-MOT results across thousands of cars of the same type.
Every qualifying model given a position - #1 being the most reliable at first MOT. A number that means something, not a vague percentage in isolation.
The exact percentage of tests that resulted in a failure at that model's very first MOT. The real number from real results - not a rounded-up estimate.
The UK-wide first-MOT average shown alongside every result - so you always know what "good" looks like, not just where a model sits in the list.
Any model you've already looked at in Explorer appears at the top of the list for quick reference - no extra cost to see where it sits in the rankings.
Vehicle types covered
Inside the Rankings
Tap a numbered dot to explore each section.
Tap a number to explore each section
Inside the Rankings
Click a section below or tap a dot on the phone to see what each part does.
Nav Bar
Switch between Explorer Make & Model and the 3-Year Test at any time. Your full research toolkit is always a single tap apart.
Only models with enough results to be meaningful
Every model in the ranking has at least 200 first-MOT test results behind it. Below that number, a few unusual cases can skew the picture - so we leave them out. Every result you see represents a statistically reliable picture of how that model performs.
Build quality is only part of the story.
The 3-Year Test tells you how a model was built. Explorer tells you how it holds up over time. Most buyers need both questions answered before they're ready to search.
Was it built well?
How this model performed at its very first MOT - the clearest signal of factory quality available, before ownership patterns and age introduce noise.
Does it stay reliable?
How this model performs across every production year as it accumulates mileage and age. Which years to look for, which to avoid, and what to check in person.
What the 3-Year Test doesn't tell you
It's a specific tool for a specific question. Knowing what it doesn't cover matters just as much as knowing what it does.
Doesn't show how a model performs after the first MOT - that's what Explorer is for
Doesn't reflect how any individual car has been maintained - the first MOT removes that variable entirely
A model-level ranking only - individual cars of the same model will vary
See where your model sits in the national ranking.
One Bib unlocks the full 3-Year Test profile for any qualifying UK make and model. Re-view it as many times as you like.