Know Your MOT
18.9%fail rate

Jensen Interceptor common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 4,962 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 18.9% of MOT tests recorded on the Jensen Interceptor 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 46.1% of the Jensen Interceptor's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, visibility/wipers, 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 & electrical46.1% 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.

Brakes35.9% 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.

Visibility/wipers25.7% 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.

Suspension20.4% 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.

Steering16.8% 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.

Other13.7% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

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: Jensen Interceptor headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Jensen Interceptor headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Jensen Interceptor headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Jensen Interceptor brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Jensen Interceptor brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Jensen Interceptor brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Jensen Interceptor wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Jensen Interceptor wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Jensen Interceptor wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Jensen Interceptor suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Jensen Interceptor suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Jensen Interceptor suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Jensen Interceptor steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Jensen Interceptor steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Jensen Interceptor steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Jensen Jensen-Healey MOT failures25.2% failure rateJensen Interceptor Iii MOT failures20.8% failure rateJensen Cv8 MOT failures17.3% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

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