Aston Martin Vantage MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 44 model years and 22,645 tests, the Aston Martin Vantage passes its MOT 94.6% of the time. Against coupes & convertibles of a similar age (13.6% fail rate), the Vantage comes out 8.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and emissions & environmental.
Best and worst Vantage years
Ranked across Vantage years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 96.0% of 2019 examples pass against 92.8% of 2006 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (2.6%) and tyres (1.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, registration plates and malfunction indicator lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 480 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 4.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 12.1% once past 90-120k — 2.8× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 11.5% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Vantage model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 36 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Brakes |
| 1987 | 56 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Visibility |
| 1988 | 48 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1989 | 49 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 190 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 1,562 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 1,101 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 784 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 801 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 756 | 94.2% | 5.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 609 | 93.4% | 6.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,043 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,723 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 1,926 | 93.7% | 6.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 1,897 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 2,021 | 95.5% | 4.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 1,564 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 2,434 | 95.7% | 4.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 2,909 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 475 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 355 | 97.2% | 2.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 140 | 96.4% | 3.6% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 2.6% | 590 |
| 2 | Tyres | 1.4% | 305 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 268 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.1% | 256 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.7% | 155 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.5% | 123 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.4% | 83 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.2% | 51 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 480 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 184 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 180 |
| 4 | Washers | 145 |
| 5 | Wipers | 140 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 110 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 110 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 81 |
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 | 11.5% | 2,592 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.5% | 1,254 |
| 3 | Other defects | 1.9% | 434 |
| 4 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.8% | 405 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 369 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.3% | 283 |
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 | 15,964 | 4.4% |
| 30-60k | 5,379 | 6.9% |
| 60-90k | 1,123 | 11.1% |
| 90-120k | 124 | 12.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,921 | 6.2% |
| 2022 | 4,533 | 5.3% |
| 2023 | 4,676 | 5.4% |
| 2024 | 4,668 | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 4,847 | 5.0% |
What to check before buying a Aston Martin Vantage
- Lighting & signalling (2.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (1.4% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (1.2% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Aston Martin Vantage?
94.6% of the 22,645 Aston Martin Vantage MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 5.4% fail rate, across model years 1980–2023.
What does the Aston Martin Vantage most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 2.6% of tests, then tyres (1.4%).
Which Vantage years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 96.0% and 2006 the weakest at 92.8%, from 2,909 and 1,562 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Vantage MOT results?
Fail rates run at 4.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 12.1% for 90-120k, a 7.7-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 22,645 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.