Maserati Quattroporte MOT pass rate & common failures
7,713 MOT tests on the Maserati Quattroporte (1984–2021) give it an 83.8% pass rate. That is 2.3 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 18.5%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.7%) and lighting & signalling (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and wipers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 283 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.2% versus 10.5%.
The diesel cars hold up better: 13.2% fail against 17.3% for petrol, a 4.1-point gap across 7,713 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Quattroporte model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 35 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 30 | 96.7% | 3.3% | Brakes |
| 2000 | 54 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2004 | 311 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 471 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 602 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 996 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 664 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 558 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 264 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Tyres |
| 2011 | 169 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 44 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 121 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 738 | 86.2% | 13.8% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 879 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 719 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 419 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 392 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 170 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.7% | 513 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 444 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.0% | 383 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.4% | 262 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.3% | 256 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 124 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 79 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.0% | 76 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 283 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 278 |
| 3 | Wipers | 200 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 195 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 161 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 129 |
| 7 | Washers | 120 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 83 |
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 | 21.7% | 1,672 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.9% | 1,223 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.5% | 814 |
| 4 | Other defects | 3.8% | 291 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.8% | 218 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.7% | 209 |
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 | 1,217 | 10.5% |
| 30-60k | 3,190 | 15.2% |
| 60-90k | 2,465 | 18.4% |
| 90-120k | 653 | 21.8% |
| 120-150k | 148 | 18.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,587 | 17.3% |
| Diesel | 2,126 | 13.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,662 | 16.0% |
| 2022 | 1,648 | 16.8% |
| 2023 | 1,543 | 15.2% |
| 2024 | 1,490 | 16.5% |
| 2025 | 1,370 | 16.4% |
What to check before buying a Maserati Quattroporte
- Tyres (6.7% 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 (5.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.0% 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 Quattroporte?
83.8% of the 7,713 Maserati Quattroporte MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.2% fail rate, across model years 1984–2021.
What does the Maserati Quattroporte most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 6.7% of tests, then lighting & signalling (5.8%).
How much does mileage affect Quattroporte MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.2% for 120-150k, a 7.7-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Quattroporte more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 13.2% of the time against 17.3% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,713 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.