Porsche 911 Carrera S MOT pass rate & common failures
1,185 MOT tests on the Porsche 911 Carrera S (1982–2023) give it a 93.9% pass rate. That is 7.5 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 13.5%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.1%) and lighting & signalling (1.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and catalyst emissions — tread depth alone was recorded 18 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.3% versus 3.3%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 12.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 14.7% in 2021 to 5.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 911 Carrera S model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 35 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 30 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 58 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2012 | 151 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 332 | 95.8% | 4.2% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 370 | 97.8% | 2.2% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 107 | 95.3% | 4.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.1% | 37 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.8% | 21 |
| 3 | Visibility | 0.8% | 10 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 10 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.7% | 8 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.7% | 8 |
| 7 | Brakes | 0.5% | 6 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.2% | 2 |
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 | 18 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 16 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 12 |
| 4 | Registration plates | 10 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 5 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 4 |
| 7 | Washers | 4 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 4 |
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 | 12.3% | 146 |
| 2 | Other defects | 3.7% | 44 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.7% | 44 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.5% | 30 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.2% | 26 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 21 |
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 | 801 | 3.3% |
| 30-60k | 222 | 7.7% |
| 60-90k | 115 | 18.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 68 | 14.7% |
| 2022 | 58 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 179 | 3.9% |
| 2024 | 385 | 6.8% |
| 2025 | 495 | 5.3% |
What to check before buying a Porsche 911 Carrera S
- Tyres (3.1% 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 (1.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (0.8% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 Porsche 911 Carrera S?
93.9% of the 1,185 Porsche 911 Carrera S MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 6.1% fail rate, across model years 1982–2023.
What does the Porsche 911 Carrera S most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 3.1% of tests, then lighting & signalling (1.8%).
How much does mileage affect 911 Carrera S MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.3% for 60-90k, a 15.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,185 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.