1998 Bentley Arnage — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1998 Bentley Arnage passed 86.1% of its 606 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (25.6% fail rate), the 1998 Arnage comes out 11.7pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.4%) and brakes (5.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint dust cover, srs malfunction indicator lamp and washers — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 33 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.0% versus 6.6%.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 24.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 19.0% in 2021 to 11.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.4% | 45 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.9% | 36 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 32 |
| 4 | Seat belts & restraints | 4.8% | 29 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.8% | 23 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 16 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint dust cover | 33 |
| 2 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 24 |
| 3 | Washers | 17 |
| 4 | Rigid brake pipes | 14 |
| 5 | Wipers | 14 |
| 6 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 13 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 24.4% | 148 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.8% | 120 |
| 3 | Tyres | 11.2% | 68 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 7.3% | 44 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.8% | 35 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 31 |
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 | 61 | 6.6% |
| 30-60k | 140 | 14.3% |
| 60-90k | 245 | 12.7% |
| 90-120k | 120 | 15.0% |
| 120-150k | 31 | 29.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 142 | 19.0% |
| 2022 | 130 | 13.9% |
| 2023 | 115 | 13.0% |
| 2024 | 109 | 10.1% |
| 2025 | 110 | 11.8% |
What to check before buying a 1998 Arnage
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.4% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (5.9% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Lighting & signalling (5.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 1998 Bentley Arnages pass their MOT?
86.1% of the 606 1998 Bentley Arnage MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1998 Bentley Arnage?
Suspension, recorded in 7.4% of tests, followed by brakes (5.9%).
Does the 1998 Arnage get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.6% in the 0-30k band to 29.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 606 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.