Bentley Continental Gt MOT pass rate & common failures
12,692 MOT tests on the Bentley Continental Gt (2004–2025) give it a 95.8% pass rate. That is 5.4 percentage points better than coupes & convertibles of a similar age, which fail at 9.6%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and other defects.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (2.8%) and lighting & signalling (0.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, headlamp aim and tread depth — registration plates alone was recorded 130 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 3.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 14.4% once past 60-90k — 4.3× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 9.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Continental Gt model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 42 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 42 | 81.0% | 19.1% | Visibility |
| 2013 | 34 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2014 | 50 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 125 | 98.4% | 1.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 2,546 | 95.5% | 4.5% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 2,984 | 95.9% | 4.1% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 2,949 | 96.1% | 3.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 3,206 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 573 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 44 | 100.0% | 0.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.8% | 359 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 0.9% | 109 |
| 3 | Other defects | 0.6% | 80 |
| 4 | Brakes | 0.3% | 43 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 42 |
| 6 | Visibility | 0.3% | 40 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.2% | 29 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.1% | 16 |
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 | 130 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 87 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 74 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 29 |
| 5 | Washers | 27 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 25 |
| 7 | Headlamp cleaning device | 18 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 17 |
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 | 9.7% | 1,232 |
| 2 | Other defects | 2.0% | 249 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.9% | 243 |
| 4 | Visibility | 0.9% | 116 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.8% | 98 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 42 |
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 | 9,882 | 3.4% |
| 30-60k | 2,523 | 6.5% |
| 60-90k | 256 | 14.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,852 | 3.8% |
| 2022 | 2,656 | 4.7% |
| 2023 | 2,781 | 4.6% |
| 2024 | 2,684 | 4.1% |
| 2025 | 2,719 | 3.8% |
What to check before buying a Bentley Continental Gt
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (0.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Other defects (0.6% of tests): Miscellaneous items not in the main categories. Typical repair: varies.
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?
95.8% of the 12,692 Bentley Continental Gt MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 4.2% fail rate, across model years 2004–2025.
What does the Bentley Continental Gt most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 2.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (0.9%).
How much does mileage affect Continental Gt MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 14.4% for 60-90k, a 11.1-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,692 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.