MOT cost .

Kawasaki

ZX 10r

915 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where ZX 10rs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 10.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

86.0%

Pass-after-fix

6.2%

Fail

7.3%

Avg miles

22,720

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Zx-10r: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 915 MOT tests, the Zx-10r returns 86.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A non-functioning shock absorber and a non-conforming number plate round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 22,720, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    14 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  2. 02

    A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    10 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  3. 03

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    9 occurrences · 1.0% of tests

  4. 04

    Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements

    7 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  5. 05

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps

    6 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  6. 06

    Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear

    6 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  7. 07

    Audible warning not working

    6 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  8. 08

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    5 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  9. 09

    Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution

    5 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  10. 10

    A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    5 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£83–£165

If every one of this ZX 10r's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

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Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

MOT-spec replacement number plate

Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a ZX 10r?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a ZX 10r and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.