Know Your MOT
15.5%fail rate

Aston Martin V8 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Aston Martin V8 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 7,069 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 15.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Aston Martin V8 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 40.7% of the Aston Martin V8's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, exhaust & emissions, suspension. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical40.7% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Brakes33.4% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Exhaust & emissions22.8% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Suspension21.0% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Visibility/wipers16.5% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Steering10.3% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

198016.7% fail · 406 tests
198118.6% fail · 220 tests
19849.5% fail · 222 tests
198512.1% fail · 124 tests
198614.4% fail · 202 tests
198712.9% fail · 170 tests
198810.9% fail · 193 tests
20069.9% fail · 141 tests
200712.1% fail · 165 tests
20085.2% fail · 134 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Aston Martin V8 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Aston Martin V8 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Aston Martin V8 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Aston Martin V8 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Aston Martin V8 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Aston Martin V8 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Aston Martin V8 exhaustSearch Amazon for Aston Martin V8 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Aston Martin V8 exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Aston Martin V8 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Aston Martin V8 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Aston Martin V8 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Aston Martin V8 wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Aston Martin V8 wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Aston Martin V8 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Aston Martin V8 steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Aston Martin V8 steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Aston Martin V8 steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Aston Martin Db9 MOT failures10.6% failure rateAston Martin V8 Vantage MOT failures10.0% failure rateAston Martin Db7 MOT failures14.8% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain