Autoza UK

Get model reliability and MOT pass rates

get_model_reliability

Read-only

Get known common faults, best and worst model years, and real DVSA MOT first-time pass rates for a specific used car model in the UK. The MOT pass rates are DVSA Class 4 test records for Great Britain only, age-matched against the national average; a pass with rectification at the station counts as a first-time pass (DVSA's own initial-test measure counts it as a failure and reports a lower figure). Each guide covers the generations named in its generation field; pass registration_year to get that year's DVSA pass rate and to be told when the car is from a generation the guide does not describe. Call with no model_slug to list the models covered. Use when someone asks whether a specific model is reliable, what goes wrong with it, which year to buy or avoid, or what to check before buying one.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`model_slug`	No	Model identifier, e.g. "ford-focus-common-faults-uk", "ford-focus", "Ford Focus" or just "Focus". Call with no argument to list every available model.
`registration_year`	No	Optional. Year the car was FIRST registered (V5C), e.g. 2014. Returns the DVSA pass rate for that registration year and says whether the guide covers that year's generation.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`page`	No	The Autoza guide for this model.
`_note`	Yes	Where the figures come from: Autoza, prices in GBP, distances in miles.
`model`	No
`summary`	No
`road_tax`	No
`best_years`	No
`generation`	No
`worst_years`	No
`alternatives`	No
`common_faults`	No
`last_reviewed`	No
`tell_the_user`	No
`why_avoid_those`	No
`why_those_years`	No
`available_models`	No	Present when no model_slug was given.
`asking_price_note`	No
`registration_year`	No
`this_guide_covers`	No
`real_world_economy`	No
`asking_price_on_autoza`	No
`guide_covers_your_year`	No	Null when the guide does not date every generation it names.
`mot_2025_failure_reasons`	No	Optional, present only where DVSA's 2025 MOT results cover the model: the parts groups and specific defects that came up most often on its tests, each with its share of tests, the rate for cars of the same age (and mileage, for the groups) and the ratio. Describes the model, not one car, and carries its own scope_note and source.
`mot_first_time_pass_rate`	No
`mot_first_time_pass_rate_for_year`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedOct 23, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / mot_2025_failure_reasons

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional, present only where DVSA's 2025 MOT results cover the model: the parts groups and specific defects that came up most often on its tests, each with its share of tests, the rate for cars of the same age (and mileage, for the groups) and the ratio. Describes the model, not one car, and carries its own scope_note and source.",
+  "properties": {
+    "failure_categories": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "full_analysis": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "model": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "scope_note": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "source": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "tests": {
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "top_defects": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedOct 6, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "_note": {
+      "description": "Where the figures come from: Autoza, prices in GBP, distances in miles.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "alternatives": {
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "asking_price_note": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "asking_price_on_autoza": {
+      "type": [
+        "object",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "available_models": {
+      "description": "Present when no model_slug was given.",
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "best_years": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "common_faults": {
+      "items": {
+        "properties": {
+          "area": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "severity": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "symptoms": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "typical_repair_cost": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "what_to_check_before_buying": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "years_affected": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "area"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "generation": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "guide_covers_your_year": {
+      "description": "Null when the guide does not date every generation it names.",
+      "type": [
+        "boolean",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "last_reviewed": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "model": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "mot_first_time_pass_rate": {
+      "type": [
+        "object",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "mot_first_time_pass_rate_for_year": {
+      "type": [
+        "object",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "page": {
+      "description": "The Autoza guide for this model.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "real_world_economy": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "registration_year": {
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "road_tax": {
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "summary": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "tell_the_user": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "this_guide_covers": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "why_avoid_those": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "why_those_years": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "worst_years": {
+      "items": {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "_note"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 30, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / model_slug / description

Previous value: -"Model identifier, e.g. \"ford-focus-common-faults-uk\". Call with no argument to list every available model."New value: +"Model identifier, e.g. \"ford-focus-common-faults-uk\", \"ford-focus\", \"Ford Focus\" or just \"Focus\". Call with no argument to list every available model."

addedInput schema / properties / registration_year

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional. Year the car was FIRST registered (V5C), e.g. 2014. Returns the DVSA pass rate for that registration year and says whether the guide covers that year's generation.",
+  "type": "integer"
+}

First observedSep 1, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Despite annotations already marking this as a safe read-only tool, the description adds substantial behavioral context: DVSA Class 4 GB-only data, age-matching against national averages, the rectification-counts-as-pass nuance, generation coverage, and the listing behavior when no model_slug is supplied.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is front-loaded with the core purpose and then adds important data-provenance caveats. It is dense and mostly earns its length, though the parenthetical DVSA measurement nuance could be compressed.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so the description need not detail return values. It covers the key scope, data source, limitations, generation handling, and usage triggers sufficiently for an agent to call the tool correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so both parameters are already well documented. The description reinforces the no-argument listing behavior and explains registration_year's generation-coverage warning, but it largely restates schema-level meaning rather than adding new parameter syntax or constraints.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description gives a specific verb and resource: retrieving common faults, best/worst model years, and DVSA MOT first-time pass rates for a specific used car model in the UK. It clearly distinguishes this from siblings such as mot_outlook or check_mot_due_date by focusing on model-level reliability and pass-rate data.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It explicitly states when to use the tool: reliability questions, common faults, which year to buy or avoid, and pre-purchase checks. It also explains the no-argument listing behavior, though it does not explicitly name sibling alternatives or when-not-to-use conditions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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