17:33 03-12-2025

Light commercial vehicles fail first inspections at twice the rate of cars

New TyreSafe and Verifleet data: 2021 light commercial vehicles fail first inspections at twice the rate of cars, mostly from worn tyres and faulty brakes.

New figures from TyreSafe and Verifleet reveal a stark gap in reliability: light commercial vehicles registered in 2021 are failing their first scheduled inspection roughly twice as often as passenger cars — 25.9% versus 12.6%.

The chief culprits are worn tyres and faulty brakes. It’s a pattern that points less to complex defects and more to everyday wear that simply isn’t being caught early enough.

The analysis also shows a worrying trend: about a quarter of later tyre failures had previously been logged as recommendations, yet drivers and businesses left them unaddressed. TyreSafe chairman Stuart Lovatt characterized this as a yellow warning light for the entire sector, stressing that ignoring advisory notes undermines safety.

Experts add that the high failure rate isn’t about manufacturing quality but about a lack of routine care. Their advice is straightforward: check tyres and brakes before every trip to avoid downtime and unexpected expenses. In practice, those quick walkaround checks tend to pay for themselves by preventing failed inspections and keeping schedules intact.