Know Your MOT
12.5%fail rate

Robin Hood S3 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Robin Hood S3 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 96 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 12.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Robin Hood S3 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 33.3% of the Robin Hood S3's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, steering, brakes, 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 & electrical33.3% 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.

Steering25.0% 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.

Brakes16.7% 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.

Suspension16.7% 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/wipers8.3% 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.

Registration plate8.3% of failures

A missing, damaged, dirty or incorrectly-spaced number plate, or one using the wrong font, will fail. A replacement plate is inexpensive.

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: Robin Hood S3 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Robin Hood S3 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Robin Hood S3 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Robin Hood S3 steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Robin Hood S3 steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Robin Hood S3 steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Robin Hood S3 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Robin Hood S3 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Robin Hood S3 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Robin Hood S3 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Robin Hood S3 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Robin Hood S3 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Robin Hood S3 wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Robin Hood S3 wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Robin Hood S3 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the registration plate failure: Robin Hood S3 number plateSearch Amazon for Robin Hood S3 number plateaffiliate searchFind Robin Hood S3 number plate on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Robin Hood 2b MOT failures15.0% failure rateRobin Hood S7 MOT failures16.5% failure rateRobin Hood Sports MOT failures17.0% 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