Bentley Continental Gt V8 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Bentley Continental Gt V8 appears in 2,194 MOT tests spanning model years 2019–2023, and 96.4% of them passed. That is 5.3 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 9.0%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, other defects and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (2.8%) and other defects (0.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, tread depth and headlamp aim — registration plates alone was recorded 19 times.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 10.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 4.5% in 2022 to 2.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Continental Gt V8 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 133 | 96.2% | 3.8% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 1,046 | 96.9% | 3.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 681 | 95.2% | 4.9% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 328 | 97.0% | 3.0% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.8% | 61 |
| 2 | Other defects | 0.6% | 13 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 8 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 0.3% | 7 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.1% | 3 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.1% | 2 |
| 7 | Visibility | 0.1% | 2 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.1% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plates | 19 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 9 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 9 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 6 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 3 |
| 6 | Washers | 2 |
| 7 | Rbt (sp) | 2 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 2 |
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 | 10.6% | 232 |
| 2 | Other defects | 2.1% | 45 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.1% | 24 |
| 4 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 7 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.3% | 7 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.2% | 4 |
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 | 2,053 | 3.5% |
| 30-60k | 141 | 6.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 44 | 4.5% |
| 2023 | 408 | 3.7% |
| 2024 | 717 | 4.6% |
| 2025 | 1,025 | 2.9% |
What to check before buying a Bentley Continental Gt V8
- 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.
- Other defects (0.6% of tests): Miscellaneous items not in the main categories. Typical repair: varies.
- Emissions & environmental (0.4% 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 Bentley Continental Gt V8?
96.4% of the 2,194 Bentley Continental Gt V8 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 3.6% fail rate, across model years 2019–2023.
What does the Bentley Continental Gt V8 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 2.8% of tests, then other defects (0.6%).
Methodology & source. Based on 2,194 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.