Continental ‘alarmed’ at high number of tyre-related NCT fail rates

Continental Tyres says it is “alarmed” at the growing number of vehicles in Ireland that are failing their NCT due to defective tyres.

Official statistics from the National Car Testing Service (NCTS) show that in 2024, more than 856,000 drivers failed the NCT. That was just under half (49.4%) of the total tests for the year (1.73 million).

The top reasons for failure of the test in 2024 have remained consistent with results from the last few years:

• Steering and suspension (14.9%)
• Lighting and electrical (14.1%)
• The ‘side slip test’ which measures how a car can maintain a straight line when driven without steering wheel input (12.2%)
• Tyres and wheels (9.9%)

In 2023, a whopping 75,000 cars failed the test because of issues with their tyres and wheels. For 2024, that figure has grown to more than 85,000 cars that were failed because of defective tyres.

Tom Dennigan, head of Continental Tyres Ireland said: “It is always better to focus on the positive and clearly, we have to commend the NCT service in their efforts to keep dangerous or defective cars off Ireland’s roads. Also, we need to recognise the slightly more than 50 per cent of drivers who maintained their vehicle in a roadworthy state and subsequently passed their NCT in 2024.

“However, it is hard not to be alarmed at that growth in test failures that are attributed to defective tyres, an increase of 10,000 from last year. We have highlighted before that tyres are the easiest element of the test to get right.

“Unlike the more mechanical elements of a car’s roadworthiness, which generally needs the input of a trained technician, a driver can easily check and see if a car’s tyres are fit for purpose.

“Any driver can carry out a visual examination that will show up any obvious problems. However, our advice to motorists is always to regularly have your tyres checked at a local tyre dealership where specially trained staff will identify any problems before it’s too late. Many tyre outlets will happily provide you with a free tyre check.”

When checking tyres, it is important to check key elements such as tread depth and tyre pressure, but it is equally as important to check for bumps, or uneven wear of the tyre that, in extreme cases, could lead to a tyre blowout.

Dennigan concluded: “Notwithstanding the good work of the NCTS, we are still seeing too many road traffic collisions where the roadworthiness of a vehicle is a major contributory factor. I have no doubt that because of the important part tyres play in keeping a car safe on the road and in particular, enabling it to stop safely in an emergency situation, defective tyres are a key causal factor in too many collisions.

“The only way for that situation to improve is for drivers to take proper responsibility for the roadworthiness of their vehicles and that includes making proper preparations when taking the NCT.”