Dublin: The number of dangerously defective cars on Irish roads reached a record high in 2024, with over 128,000 vehicles classified as “fail dangerous” during NCT inspections, representing 7.42% of all vehicles tested. This marks a significant increase from 4.9% in 2020. Additionally, nearly 4,000 vehicles failed dangerous re-tests last year.
A “fail dangerous” classification indicates defects posing immediate road safety risks, such as corroded bodywork, damaged tyres, brake issues, or faulty lights. These vehicles are deemed unsafe to drive, and motorists are warned by NCT inspectors, with some cases reported to Gardaí if ignored.
Counties like Cavan (11.9%) and Leitrim (10.3%) had the highest rates of “fail dangerous” vehicles, while Offaly (6.1%) and Kildare (6.3%) reported the lowest. The overall NCT pass rate also fell to 50.6%, its lowest in five years, with Cavan recording the poorest pass rate at 39.4%.
Common faults included steering and suspension (15%), lighting and electrical (14.2%), and wheel alignment (12.3%). The RSA emphasised that regular maintenance remains the responsibility of vehicle owners and should not be replaced by reliance on NCT inspections.
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