2012 Aston Martin Cygnet — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Aston Martin Cygnet passed 90.1% of its 253 recorded MOT tests. That is 11.7 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 21.6%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.5%) and visibility (3.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, position lamp and registration plates — wipers alone was recorded 10 times.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 13.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 12.7% in 2021 to 8.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 14 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.6% | 9 |
| 3 | Tyres | 2.8% | 7 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.2% | 3 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.8% | 2 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 10 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 9 |
| 3 | Registration plates | 4 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 4 |
| 5 | Washers | 3 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 3 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 13.8% | 35 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.9% | 30 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.0% | 10 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.2% | 8 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.4% | 6 |
| 6 | Other defects | 2.4% | 6 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 171 | 8.8% |
| 30-60k | 64 | 12.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55 | 12.7% |
| 2022 | 51 | 11.8% |
| 2023 | 53 | 11.3% |
| 2024 | 47 | 4.3% |
| 2025 | 47 | 8.5% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Cygnet
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.6% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Tyres (2.8% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2012 Aston Martin Cygnets pass their MOT?
90.1% of the 253 2012 Aston Martin Cygnet MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Aston Martin Cygnet?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.5% of tests, followed by visibility (3.6%).
Does the 2012 Cygnet get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.8% in the 0-30k band to 12.5% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 253 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.