Inishowen drivers are still much more likely to fail their NCT the first time round

Inishowen motorists continue to be more likely to fail than pass their NCT, the latest figures from the National Car Testing Service have revealed.

The success rate at the Carndonagh NCT centre during 2025 was just 45.9 per cent, while 47.6 per cent of cars tested there failed, with 6.5 per cent of vehicles flagged as dangerous.

The Carn pass rate was significantly below the national average of 49.2 per cent, with the Inishowen centre ranking a lowly 35th out of 50 test centres across the country.

A total of 9,635 full tests were carried out in Carndonagh in 2025, with 4,428 passes, 4,580 fails, and 627 results of ‘Fail Dangerous’.

In addition, there were 4,075 retests at the Inishowen facility, with a pass rate of 87.6 per cent. When it came to non-lane retests [visual inspections], Carn had an almost perfect rate, with 1,099 cars tested and 1,096 passing, for a success rate of 99.7 per cent.

The Inishowen facility ranked in third place in County Donegal last year, ahead of Letterkenny, with a 45.4 per cent pass rate, but behind Derrybeg (52.8pc) and Donegal Town (47pc).

In terms of the volume of inspections, Carn had the fourth fewest of all test centres in 2025, with only Derrybeg (6,958), Clifden (5,604) and Cahirciveen (3,787) recording fewer tests overall.

The Deansgrange centre in south Dublin reported the highest pass rate on 57.3 per cent, with Athlone in last place on just 41.7 per cent.

Nationally, there were 1,744,985 NCT tests performed last year, up slightly from the 1,732,093 tests in 2024.

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When asked to explain the consistently lower average pass rates in Inishowen, a spokesperson for Applus – the company that operates the National Car Testing Service – said there are a number of contributory factors, including a poorer road network, longer distances to travel, and older cars.

“There is no single reason to explain the NCT statistics in Donegal, though a number of factors may contribute. One possible influence is the county’s road network. Unlike many other counties, Donegal does not have a motorway servicing it, and vehicles may also be travelling longer distances on average.”

They added: “A range of factors can affect whether a vehicle passes or fails the NCT. Vehicle age is significant: cars that are four years old have a pass rate of over 80 per cent, while this drops to around 40 per cent for vehicles aged 10 years or more.”

“Mileage also plays a major role, with higher-mileage vehicles more prone to failure – a factor that can particularly affect rural areas.”

“Patterns of vehicle use and environmental conditions also influence outcomes, with differences between rural, coastal and urban settings. In addition, the condition of local roads can contribute to certain types of failures, such as those related to brakes or suspension components.”

The Applus official also explained how one-third of motorists do not service their vehicles before presenting them for an NCT, leading to higher failure rates.

“These vehicles have, on average, an 11 per cent higher failure rate than those that are serviced in advance. Variations in how many motorists use the test as a diagnostic tool rather than a compliance check can therefore impact overall pass rates,” they added.

Meanwhile, after a price hike last January, it now costs €60 to book an initial NCT test, with a re-test running at €40.