2016 Bentley Flying Spur — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2016 Bentley Flying Spur passed 94.1% of its 716 recorded MOT tests. Executive cars of a similar age fail 12.8% of the time, so this is 6.9pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.2%) and lighting & signalling (1.7%) 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 stop lamp — pins and bushes alone was recorded 7 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2016 Flying Spur fails 4.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 7.7% at 60-90k, a spread of only 3.7 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 12.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 5.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.2% | 23 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.7% | 12 |
| 3 | Brakes | 0.8% | 6 |
| 4 | Suspension | 0.8% | 6 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.7% | 5 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 4 |
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 | 7 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 7 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 5 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 4 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 4 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 3 |
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 | 12.4% | 89 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.8% | 34 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.6% | 26 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.1% | 8 |
| 5 | Other defects | 1.0% | 7 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.7% | 5 |
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 | 378 | 4.0% |
| 30-60k | 280 | 8.2% |
| 60-90k | 52 | 7.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 141 | 5.7% |
| 2022 | 143 | 4.9% |
| 2023 | 138 | 3.6% |
| 2024 | 142 | 4.9% |
| 2025 | 152 | 9.9% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Flying Spur
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 3.2% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (3.2% 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 (1.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (0.8% 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
How many 2016 Bentley Flying Spurs pass their MOT?
94.1% of the 716 2016 Bentley Flying Spur MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 5.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Bentley Flying Spur?
Tyres, recorded in 3.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (1.7%).
Does the 2016 Flying Spur get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.0% in the 0-30k band to 7.7% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 716 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.