Isuzu Trooper MOT pass rate & common failures
The Isuzu Trooper appears in 17,411 MOT tests spanning model years 1987–2020, and 73.3% of them passed. Large SUVs of a similar age fail 24.8% of the time, so this is 2.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are body, structure & corrosion, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Trooper years
Ranked across Trooper years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 1998 (75.4% pass rate); the weakest is 2002 (71.7%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — body, structure & corrosion (14.3%) and lighting & signalling (13.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, rigid brake pipes and service brake performance — joints alone was recorded 1,332 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.3% versus 21.6%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 26.7% of the time against 27.4% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 39.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 27.6% in 2021 to 25.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Trooper model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 33 | 84.9% | 15.2% | Brakes |
| 1990 | 32 | 81.3% | 18.8% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 74 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 236 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 376 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 408 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1995 | 388 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1996 | 685 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1997 | 1,488 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1998 | 1,596 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1999 | 1,592 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2000 | 1,440 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2001 | 1,403 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2002 | 2,416 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2003 | 1,894 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2004 | 1,717 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,193 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2006 | 292 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 49 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Body, structure & corrosion | 14.3% | 2,499 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 13.5% | 2,353 |
| 3 | Brakes | 12.8% | 2,222 |
| 4 | Suspension | 11.9% | 2,073 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.8% | 1,002 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.1% | 893 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.7% | 652 |
| 8 | Tyres | 2.3% | 392 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 1,332 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,178 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 1,094 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 1,053 |
| 5 | Chassis condition | 844 |
| 6 | Exhaust system | 840 |
| 7 | Prescribed areas | 809 |
| 8 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 709 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 39.4% | 6,857 |
| 2 | Brakes | 37.9% | 6,600 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 30.3% | 5,273 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 24.2% | 4,206 |
| 5 | Tyres | 16.7% | 2,901 |
| 6 | Other defects | 14.1% | 2,448 |
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 | 111 | 21.6% |
| 30-60k | 607 | 16.6% |
| 60-90k | 1,815 | 23.8% |
| 90-120k | 4,028 | 26.9% |
| 120-150k | 4,504 | 26.9% |
| 150k+ | 6,246 | 28.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 16,202 | 26.7% |
| Petrol | 1,209 | 27.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,852 | 27.6% |
| 2022 | 3,979 | 26.2% |
| 2023 | 3,377 | 25.7% |
| 2024 | 2,873 | 27.7% |
| 2025 | 2,330 | 25.9% |
What to check before buying a Isuzu Trooper
- Body, structure & corrosion (14.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Lighting & signalling (13.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (12.8% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Isuzu Trooper?
73.3% of the 17,411 Isuzu Trooper MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 26.7% fail rate, across model years 1987–2020.
What does the Isuzu Trooper most often fail its MOT on?
Body, structure & corrosion, recorded in 14.3% of tests, then lighting & signalling (13.5%).
Which Trooper years are best and worst for MOT results?
1998 has the best pass rate at 75.4% and 2002 the weakest at 71.7%, from 1,596 and 2,416 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Trooper MOT results?
Fail rates run at 21.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.3% for 150k+, a 6.7-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Trooper more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 26.7% of the time against 27.4% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 17,411 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.