DVSA Checks See 7 in 10 Vans Given Mechanical Prohibitions

More than seven in ten GB vans mechanically inspected by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency during the latest quarter were issued with a prohibition, newly published enforcement figures reveal.

DVSA carried out 1,258 mechanical checks on GB-registered light goods vehicles (LGVs) between April and June 2026, resulting in 890 mechanical prohibitions.

That represents a mechanical prohibition rate of 70.75% among the vans checked.

Tyres emerged as the single most common prohibition defect, with tyre condition defects recorded against 22.68% of all LGVs inspected.

The figures provide a stark reminder to van operators and drivers of the importance of basic vehicle maintenance – but they need to be interpreted carefully.

DVSA roadside enforcement is targeted and the figures should not be taken to mean that seven in ten vans generally being driven on Britain’s roads are defective.

DVSA van prohibition rate reaches 70.75%

The figures form part of DVSA’s newly updated vehicle enforcement data, published on 17 September 2026.

During April to June 2026, DVSA recorded the following results for GB light goods vehicles:

• 1,258 mechanical checks
• 890 mechanical prohibitions
• 70.75% mechanical prohibition rate
• 1,080 weight checks
• 742 overload prohibitions
• 68.70% overload prohibition rate
• 1,293 traffic checks
• 664 fixed penalties
• £131,000 in fixed penalties

The overload figures are also notable.

More than two-thirds of the vans subjected to a weight check received an overload prohibition, although once again these were enforcement checks rather than a random sample of the UK’s van population.

What does a DVSA prohibition mean?

A prohibition can prevent a vehicle from being driven until a problem has been rectified.

According to GOV.UK guidance, police and DVSA officers can issue prohibitions when faults are identified with a commercial vehicle or its operation.

An immediate prohibition prevents the vehicle being driven until the problem has been fixed.

A delayed prohibition allows up to 10 days for an issue to be corrected.

Roadworthiness prohibitions can be issued for mechanical problems or defects relating to a vehicle’s bodywork or equipment.

The DVSA enforcement dataset also categorises defects according to severity.

Category 1 covers an immediate prohibition for a brake, steering or tyre defect, while Category 2 covers immediate prohibitions for other defects.

Categories 3 and 4 relate to delayed prohibitions.

Tyres are the leading defect found on vans

Perhaps the most relevant finding for MOT testers, garages and van operators is contained in DVSA’s separate breakdown of the top prohibition defects.

Tyre condition was the number-one prohibition defect among LGVs inspected during April to June 2026.

Tyre defects were recorded against 22.68% of all LGVs inspected at the roadside.

The ten leading defects were:

1. Tyre condition – 22.68%
2. Direction indicators – 15.83%
3. Security of body – 10.06%
4. Exhaust emissions – 9.06%
5. Brake warning systems – 7.99%
6. Seatbelts and supplementary restraint systems – 6.78%
7. Parking brake operation and performance – 5.99%
8. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment – 4.49%
9. Suspension springs – 3.92%
10. Road wheels and hubs – 3.14%

Multiple occurrences of the same defect item on one vehicle are counted only once in DVSA’s top-ten tables.

The figures demonstrate that many of the problems encountered during roadside enforcement concern familiar vehicle maintenance areas rather than obscure technical faults.

Tyres, indicators, brakes, lighting, suspension and wheels are all components that garages and MOT testers deal with routinely.

Tyre problems have increased slightly

Tyres were also the leading LGV prohibition defect during the previous quarter.

Between January and March 2026, tyre-condition defects were recorded against 21.91% of LGVs inspected.

That increased to 22.68% between April and June.

While the quarter-to-quarter increase itself is relatively modest, the fact that tyre condition remains at the top of the list is significant.

Tyres are one of the most safety-critical components on any vehicle, affecting braking, steering and the ability to maintain contact with the road.

For commercial vans that may cover substantial mileages and carry varying loads, regular tyre inspection is particularly important.

Why van drivers should check more than tread depth

Tyre maintenance should not be reduced simply to checking whether there is sufficient tread.

Drivers and operators should regularly inspect tyres for obvious damage, deterioration and abnormal wear as well as monitoring pressures.

Uneven wear can also indicate other problems that may require investigation, including alignment or suspension issues.

A tyre that appears acceptable at a quick glance can still have damage or deterioration requiring attention.

For businesses operating vans, incorporating tyre checks into routine vehicle inspections can help identify problems before they result in downtime, enforcement action or a safety incident.

Indicators are the second most common van defect

Direction indicators were the second most frequently recorded prohibition defect, appearing on 15.83% of LGVs inspected.

Again, this is a relatively basic area of vehicle maintenance.

Regular checks of indicators, lighting and other electrical equipment can identify faults before the vehicle is used on the road.

Lighting and electrical equipment also appeared separately in the top ten, at 4.49%.

Taken together, the figures reinforce the value of straightforward driver walkaround checks.

Exhaust emissions also feature prominently

Exhaust emissions were the fourth most common defect in the latest LGV figures, recorded against 9.06% of vehicles inspected.

That is particularly relevant to garages and MOT stations as the UK’s van parc continues to include a large number of diesel vehicles.

Emissions-related problems can have several possible causes and should be properly diagnosed rather than simply treated as an MOT issue.

The presence of emissions among DVSA’s leading roadside prohibition defects shows that vehicle emissions are not confined to the annual MOT testing environment.

Braking defects remain a concern

Two braking-related categories appear in the top ten.

Brake warning systems were associated with 7.99% of LGVs inspected, while parking brake operation and performance accounted for 5.99%.

Brakes are another safety-critical area where defects can result in serious enforcement consequences.

DVSA’s enforcement classifications place immediate brake, steering and tyre prohibitions in the most serious defect category.

For van operators, regular servicing and acting quickly when a brake warning light appears or braking performance changes should therefore be regarded as basic roadworthiness management.

Suspension and wheel defects also make the list

Suspension springs were recorded against 3.92% of inspected LGVs, while road wheels and hubs accounted for 3.14%.

These figures will be familiar territory for MOT testers and repair garages.

Commercial vans can operate under demanding conditions, with high annual mileages, repeated loading and unloading and frequent urban driving all potentially contributing to wear.

Drivers should pay attention to unusual noises, vibration, steering changes or deterioration in ride quality and have suspected faults investigated rather than waiting for the next MOT.

Van overloading is another major enforcement issue

Mechanical condition was not the only significant finding in the new DVSA data.

Of the 1,080 weight checks carried out on GB LGVs during April to June, 742 resulted in overload prohibitions.

That equates to a prohibition rate of 68.70% among the vans selected for weight checks.

Overloading can affect braking distances, vehicle handling, tyres and suspension as well as placing the operator at risk of enforcement action.

It is therefore closely connected to vehicle roadworthiness rather than simply being an administrative weight-limit issue.

Businesses operating vans need to understand their vehicles’ permitted weights and ensure drivers know the consequences of exceeding them.

Why the 70.75% figure needs context

The headline prohibition rate is eye-catching, but it would be misleading to suggest that seven out of every ten vans on British roads would fail a DVSA inspection.

DVSA enforcement activity is not designed to provide a random snapshot of every vehicle on the road.

Officers can target vehicles for inspection and the published figures specifically exclude vehicles that were sifted.

The dataset itself is also described by DVSA as not being an official statistic, meaning it is not subject to the scrutiny and assessment applied by the UK Statistics Authority to official statistics.

The correct conclusion is therefore that 70.75% of the GB LGVs mechanically checked by DVSA during the quarter received a prohibition, not that 70.75% of Britain’s entire van fleet is mechanically defective.

That distinction is important.

What the figures mean for MOT testers and garages

Although roadside enforcement and MOT testing are different processes, there is considerable overlap in the vehicle systems involved.

Tyres, lights, brakes, suspension, wheels, seatbelts and emissions are everyday areas of work for MOT stations and repair garages.

The latest enforcement results therefore provide useful insight into the types of roadworthiness problems DVSA officers are continuing to encounter in working vehicles.

For garages looking after commercial customers, the figures also underline the value of preventative maintenance.

A van that is off the road because it has received a prohibition isn’t earning money for the business operating it.

Regular inspections and maintenance can therefore have a commercial benefit as well as helping maintain roadworthiness.

Basic maintenance could prevent many problems

One of the most striking aspects of DVSA’s latest defect list is how many of the leading issues concern components that should form part of normal vehicle maintenance.

Tyres can be inspected.

Indicators and lights can be checked.

Brake warning lights should not be ignored.

Suspension problems should be investigated.

Vehicle weights can be managed.

For van fleets and individual tradespeople alike, waiting until the annual MOT to discover roadworthiness problems is not an effective maintenance strategy.

The MOT provides an important minimum roadworthiness check at a particular point in time, but responsibility for keeping a vehicle roadworthy continues throughout the year.

With DVSA’s latest enforcement figures showing 890 mechanical prohibitions from 1,258 GB van checks in just three months, the consequences of failing to maintain that standard can be significant.

External Sources

DVSA – Vehicle enforcement data for Great Britain
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/vehicle-enforcement-data-for-great-britain

DVSA – Vehicle enforcement checks at roadside and operators’ premises
https://www.gov.uk/csv-preview/67e2bd6c6e54ea5b2b8ee229/dvsa-enf-01-vehicle-enforcement-checks-at-roadside-and-operators-premises.csv

DVSA – Top 10 prohibition defects for LGVs inspected at roadside
https://www.gov.uk/csv-preview/6a61ffd02dc18ebe4c3b2abf/dvsa-enf-11-top-10-prohibition-defects-lgv-inspected-at-roadside.csv

GOV.UK – Roadside checks for HGV, van, bus or coach drivers: roadside prohibitions
https://www.gov.uk/roadside-vehicle-checks-for-commercial-drivers/roadside-prohibitions