1992 Morgan 4/4 — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 258 MOT tests, the 1992 Morgan 4/4 recorded a 92.3% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (22.9% fail rate), the 1992 4/4 comes out 15.1pp better. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (5.4%) and lighting & signalling (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, service brake imbalance and position lamp — service brake performance alone was recorded 13 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 1992 4/4 fails 8.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 7.5% at 60-90k, a spread of only 0.8 points.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 9.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 11.5% in 2021 to 7.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 5.4% | 14 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 12 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 4 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.6% | 4 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.2% | 3 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 2 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 13 |
| 2 | Service brake imbalance | 7 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 4 |
| 4 | Drag link end | 3 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 3 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 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 | Brakes | 9.3% | 24 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.9% | 23 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 5.4% | 14 |
| 4 | Steering | 4.7% | 12 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.3% | 11 |
| 6 | Tyres | 3.1% | 8 |
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 | 121 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 80 | 5.0% |
| 60-90k | 40 | 7.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52 | 11.5% |
| 2022 | 56 | 8.9% |
| 2023 | 54 | 7.4% |
| 2024 | 42 | 2.4% |
| 2025 | 54 | 7.4% |
What to check before buying a 1992 4/4
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 5.4% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (5.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (1.6% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 1992 Morgan 4/4s pass their MOT?
92.3% of the 258 1992 Morgan 4/4 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1992 Morgan 4/4?
Brakes, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.7%).
Does the 1992 4/4 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 0-30k band to 7.5% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 258 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.