Bentley Flying Spur MOT pass rate & common failures
The Bentley Flying Spur appears in 3,858 MOT tests spanning model years 1989–2022, and 94.3% of them passed. Executive cars of a similar age fail 14.1% of the time, so this is 8.4pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (2.7%) and lighting & signalling (1.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, registration plates and headlamp aim — pins and bushes alone was recorded 35 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 5.0% in the 0-30k band and 9.5% in the 90-120k band, a 4.5-point spread.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 11.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 4.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 7.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Flying Spur model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 46 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 338 | 93.8% | 6.2% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 1,000 | 94.8% | 5.2% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 935 | 94.4% | 5.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 716 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 462 | 94.4% | 5.6% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 283 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.7% | 104 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.8% | 68 |
| 3 | Brakes | 0.9% | 36 |
| 4 | Suspension | 0.7% | 28 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 22 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.4% | 16 |
| 7 | Visibility | 0.4% | 15 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.2% | 7 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 35 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 24 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 21 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 20 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 20 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 18 |
| 7 | Rear fog lamp | 16 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 14 |
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 | 11.8% | 457 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.3% | 165 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.1% | 120 |
| 4 | Other defects | 1.8% | 70 |
| 5 | Visibility | 0.9% | 35 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.7% | 25 |
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 | 1,898 | 5.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,538 | 5.9% |
| 60-90k | 331 | 8.5% |
| 90-120k | 74 | 9.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 759 | 4.9% |
| 2022 | 795 | 6.0% |
| 2023 | 774 | 5.2% |
| 2024 | 746 | 5.6% |
| 2025 | 784 | 7.0% |
What to check before buying a Bentley Flying Spur
- Tyres (2.7% 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 (1.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (0.9% 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.
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 Flying Spur?
94.3% of the 3,858 Bentley Flying Spur MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 5.8% fail rate, across model years 1989–2022.
What does the Bentley Flying Spur most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 2.7% of tests, then lighting & signalling (1.8%).
How much does mileage affect Flying Spur MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 9.5% for 90-120k, a 4.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,858 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.