2013 Bentley Continental — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 3,803 MOT tests, the 2013 Bentley Continental recorded a 93.9% pass rate. Coupes & convertibles of a similar age fail 14.7% of the time, so this is 8.6pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (2.6%) and lighting & signalling (2.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are reversing lamps, malfunction indicator lamp and washers — reversing lamps alone was recorded 35 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2013 Continental fails 4.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 6.5% at 90-120k, a spread of only 2.3 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 11.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.6% | 100 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 91 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 38 |
| 4 | Visibility | 0.9% | 34 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.7% | 28 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.5% | 19 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reversing lamps | 35 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 34 |
| 3 | Washers | 32 |
| 4 | Registration plates | 28 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 22 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 21 |
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% | 438 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.7% | 178 |
| 3 | Suspension | 2.7% | 104 |
| 4 | Other defects | 1.1% | 42 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 0.8% | 32 |
| 6 | Visibility | 0.8% | 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 | 1,366 | 4.3% |
| 30-60k | 1,922 | 6.6% |
| 60-90k | 450 | 9.1% |
| 90-120k | 46 | 6.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 777 | 5.9% |
| 2022 | 766 | 6.1% |
| 2023 | 759 | 4.5% |
| 2024 | 748 | 6.8% |
| 2025 | 753 | 7.0% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Continental
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 2.6% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (2.6% 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 (2.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (1.0% 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
How many 2013 Bentley Continentals pass their MOT?
93.9% of the 3,803 2013 Bentley Continental MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Bentley Continental?
Tyres, recorded in 2.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.4%).
Does the 2013 Continental get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.3% in the 0-30k band to 6.5% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,803 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.