Know Your MOT
35.7%fail rate

Rover 100 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Rover 100 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 154,594 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 35.7% of MOT tests recorded on the Rover 100 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 42.3% of the Rover 100's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, suspension, body & structure. 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

Brakes42.3% 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.

Lamps & electrical36.4% 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.

Suspension35.2% 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.

Body & structure27.2% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

Exhaust & emissions25.2% 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.

Tyres19.4% 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).

199034.1% fail · 126 tests
199134.3% fail · 143 tests
199237.0% fail · 322 tests
199340.3% fail · 313 tests
199439.2% fail · 311 tests
199538.4% fail · 34,354 tests
199636.7% fail · 44,246 tests
199735.5% fail · 53,725 tests
199834.6% fail · 14,643 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 brakes failure: Rover 100 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Rover 100 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Rover 100 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Rover 100 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Rover 100 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Rover 100 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Rover 100 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Rover 100 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Rover 100 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Rover 100 exhaustSearch Amazon for Rover 100 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Rover 100 exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Rover 100 tyresSearch Amazon for Rover 100 tyresaffiliate searchFind Rover 100 tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Rover 25 MOT failures27.9% failure rateRover 75 MOT failures29.3% failure rateRover 214 MOT failures32.4% 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