Maserati Ghibli MOT pass rate & common failures
The Maserati Ghibli appears in 18,595 MOT tests spanning model years 1989–2021, and 86.7% of them passed. That is effectively the same as executive cars of a similar age (13.1% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 7.5% of all tests — 4.1 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 1,132 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 16.7% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.8pp more often than petrol ones (13.8% vs 12.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Ghibli model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 89 | 95.5% | 4.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 48 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 3,577 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 4,331 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 4,538 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 2,763 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 1,841 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 976 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 275 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 7.5% | 1,403 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.5% | 641 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.4% | 450 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.4% | 441 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 278 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.1% | 213 |
| 7 | Other defects | 0.7% | 126 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.4% | 69 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 1,132 |
| 2 | Wipers | 404 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 379 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 326 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 241 |
| 6 | Registration plates | 195 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 160 |
| 8 | Coil spring | 151 |
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 | 24.1% | 4,472 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.5% | 3,264 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.0% | 749 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.6% | 476 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.5% | 459 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 298 |
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 | 3,810 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 8,603 | 12.9% |
| 60-90k | 4,648 | 15.4% |
| 90-120k | 1,242 | 14.6% |
| 120-150k | 229 | 17.9% |
| 150k+ | 60 | 16.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 12,847 | 13.8% |
| Petrol | 5,746 | 12.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,621 | 12.5% |
| 2022 | 3,781 | 12.2% |
| 2023 | 3,834 | 13.4% |
| 2024 | 3,735 | 13.8% |
| 2025 | 3,624 | 14.5% |
What to check before buying a Maserati Ghibli
- Tyres (7.5% 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 (3.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.4% 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 Maserati Ghibli?
86.7% of the 18,595 Maserati Ghibli MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 13.3% fail rate, across model years 1989–2021.
What does the Maserati Ghibli most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 7.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.5%).
How much does mileage affect Ghibli MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 16.7% for 150k+, a 6.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Ghibli more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 12.0% of the time against 13.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 18,595 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.