Know Your MOT
35.2%fail rate

Renault Espace common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 469,779 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 35.2% of MOT tests recorded on the Renault Espace 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 36.8% of the Renault Espace's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, exhaust & emissions. 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 & electrical36.8% 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.

Suspension36.4% 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.

Brakes31.7% 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 & emissions20.1% 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.

Other20.0% of failures

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

Tyres19.1% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

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).

199736.7% fail · 13,892 tests
199836.0% fail · 28,551 tests
199935.3% fail · 32,655 tests
200035.9% fail · 32,276 tests
200135.2% fail · 32,271 tests
200234.4% fail · 45,431 tests
200332.8% fail · 39,804 tests
200432.7% fail · 38,982 tests
200532.6% fail · 28,458 tests
200633.0% fail · 17,144 tests
200733.9% fail · 17,323 tests
200833.1% fail · 8,358 tests
200932.5% fail · 3,995 tests
201031.0% fail · 3,062 tests
201129.6% fail · 1,849 tests
201230.8% fail · 422 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: Renault Espace headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Renault Espace headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Renault Espace headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Renault Espace suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Renault Espace suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Renault Espace suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Renault Espace brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Renault Espace brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Renault Espace brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Renault Espace exhaustSearch Amazon for Renault Espace exhaustaffiliate searchFind Renault Espace exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Renault Espace tyresSearch Amazon for Renault Espace tyresaffiliate searchFind Renault Espace tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Renault Clio MOT failures32.9% failure rateRenault Megane MOT failures32.7% failure rateRenault Laguna MOT failures35.4% 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