Know Your MOT
11.6%fail rate

Triumph Legend common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 15,173 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 11.6% of MOT tests recorded on the Triumph Legend 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 22.3% of the Triumph Legend's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, tyres, 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

Brakes22.3% 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 & electrical13.6% 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.

Tyres10.8% 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.

Suspension9.9% 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.

Other9.5% of failures

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

Exhaust & emissions2.7% 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.

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).

199811.9% fail · 2,620 tests
199911.5% fail · 6,194 tests
200012.3% fail · 3,105 tests
200111.1% fail · 2,914 tests
20026.9% fail · 131 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: Triumph Legend brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Triumph Legend brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Triumph Legend brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Triumph Legend headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Triumph Legend headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Triumph Legend headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Triumph Legend tyresSearch Amazon for Triumph Legend tyresaffiliate searchFind Triumph Legend tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Triumph Legend suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Triumph Legend suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Triumph Legend suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Triumph Legend exhaustSearch Amazon for Triumph Legend exhaustaffiliate searchFind Triumph Legend exhaust on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Triumph Bonneville MOT failures9.8% failure rateTriumph Tiger MOT failures9.2% failure rateTriumph Sprint MOT failures12.6% 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