Know Your MOT

MOT failure rate and common problems for the Triumph Thunder, and how to check your own car by registration.

Updated 05 September 2026.

14.7%fail rate

Triumph Thunder MOT failure rate

What a Triumph Thunder fails its MOT on, and the part that fixes each.

What it fails on, and why

Brakes18.8% 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.

Tyres12.5% 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.

Lamps & electrical9.4% 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.

Suspension6.2% 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.

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. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the brakes failure: Triumph Thunder brake pads and discsShop Triumph Thunder brake pads and discs on AmazonaffiliateFind Triumph Thunder brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Triumph Thunder tyresShop Triumph Thunder tyres on AmazonaffiliateFind Triumph Thunder tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Triumph Thunder headlight and indicator bulbsShop Triumph Thunder headlight and indicator bulbs on AmazonaffiliateFind Triumph Thunder headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Triumph Thunder suspension springs and shock absorbersShop Triumph Thunder suspension springs and shock absorbers on AmazonaffiliateFind Triumph Thunder suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate

Other models

All Triumph models MOT failure rates comparedRanked worst to bestTriumph Bonneville MOT failures9.8% failure rateTriumph Tiger MOT failures9.2% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Questions and answers

What is the MOT failure rate of the Triumph Thunder?

It fails 14.7% of its MOT tests across the DVSA record, from 218 tests.

What do these cars fail their MOT on most?

The most common failure area is brakes, at 18.8% of this model's failures.