NCT stats show Cavan, Meath and Clare among counties with the highest rate of defective cars

THE ROAD SAFETY Authority (RSA) has expressed concern about the high rate of dangerously defective cars on Irish roads with official figures showing almost 133,000 vehicles submitted for an NCT last year were classified as “fail dangerous”.

The figures indicate that a record level of approximately 1 in every 13 vehicles tested during 2025 was assessed as being unroadworthy to a dangerous level by NCT inspectors.

The overall pass rate for the full test also fell below 50% for the first time in five years and has decreased annually from its recent high of 54.3% in 2022 to 49.2% last year.

Figures published by the National Car Testing Service (NCTS_ show that 7.6% of over 1.74 million vehicles tested at the country’s 50 NCT centres during 2025 were deemed to be unsafe to be driven on public roads – up from 7.4% the previous year.

The figures reveal a total of 132,964 vehicles were classified as “fail dangerous” – an annual increase of almost 4,500 on the previous record set in 2024.

According to the NCTS, the “fail dangerous” classification is applied to vehicles regarded as having a dangerous defect that “constitutes a direct or immediate risk to road safety such that the vehicle should not be used on the road under any circumstances.”

Cars deemed “fail dangerous” will have a sticker stating their condition affixed to them by an NCT vehicle inspector, with motorists being advised they should have their vehicle towed away.

They also show that 4,218 vehicles remained in a dangerous, unroadworthy condition even after they were presented for re-testing at an NCT centre.

They also highlight wide variations in failure rates between different parts of the country with more than 1 in 10 of all vehicles submitted for an NCT in Cavan last year deemed dangerously defective – with a “fail dangerous” rate of 11.4%.

Other counties with high “fail dangerous” rates include Meath (9.4%); Clare and Sligo (both 9.2%) and Monaghan (9.0%).

The lowest “fail dangerous” rate was recorded in Offaly at 6.2% followed by Kildare (6.6%), Wicklow (6.9%) and Dublin, Kerry and Waterford (all 7.1%.)

Defective tyres and brakes

NCTS figures also highlight how over 14% of all vehicles tested last year had defective tyres, while 11% had a defective front suspension with 8% having defective brakes.

Commenting on the figures, a spokesperson for the Road Safety Authority said the number of vehicles receiving a “fail dangerous” result “poses a direct and immediate risk to road safety.”

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“It is an offence to drive a vehicle with dangerous defects on public roads,” the spokesperson added.

The RSA has called on all vehicle owners to embrace year-round responsibility for maintaining their cars rather than relying on the NCT to identify faults.

It pointed out that customer satisfaction surveys have continuously highlighted the disappointing culture of vehicle owners using the NCT as a diagnostic tool.

The RSA spokesperson said such a culture contributed to inefficiencies in the system and increased risks to road safety.

The spokesperson observed: “We use our vehicles for work and to transport our families, so ensuring our vehicles are maintained to a high standard should be a year-round focus, not something to focus on only before your NCT.”

“Regular upkeep ensures your car is safe, roadworthy, and operating efficiently at all times. Proactively addressing known issues before your test improves your chances of passing and helps the NCT system operate more efficiently, freeing up capacity for others,” he added.

The figures on rising “fail dangerous” rates in NCT tests come against a background of an 8% increase in fatalities on Irish roads last year.

NCTS figures also reveal that almost 14% of over 630,000 vehicles submitted for a lane re-test last year were failed.

The NCT centre with the highest pass rate was in Deansgrange, Co Dublin at 57.3% which was also the country’s busiest centre with over 111,000 vehicles tested in 2025.

The latest figures show the overall pass rate for over 1.74 million full NCT tests last year was 49.2% – down from 50.6% in 2024.

Only eight counties recorded pass rates in excess of 50% with the highest level recorded in Offaly at 56.2% followed by Waterford (53.0%) and Tipperary (52.0%).

The others were Kilkenny (51.8%), Dublin (51.5%), Cork (50.9%), Limerick (50.7%) and Wicklow (50.6%).

At the other end of the scale, the lowest pass rate was recorded in Clare where just 41.5% of vehicles tested passed just ahead of Cavan (41.6%), Longford (41.7%) and Monaghan (42.2%).

The full list of counties and its fail dangerous rating is below.

Carlow – 8.7%
Cavan – 11.4%
Clare – 9.2%
Cork – 7.8%
Donegal – 7.7%
Dublin – 7.1%
Galway – 7.6%
Kerry – 7.1%
Kildare – 6.6%
Kilkenny – 7.4%
Laois – 8.2%
Leitrim – 8.7%
Limerick – 7.9%
Longford – 8%
Louth – 7.4%
Mayo – 7.7%
Meath – 9.4%
Monaghan – 9%
Offaly – 6.2%
Roscommon – 8.2%
Sligo – 9.2%
Tipperary – 7.4%
Waterford – 7.1%
Westmeath – 7.6%
Wexford – 8.3%
Wicklow – 6.9%

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