Porsche 911 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 46 model years and 252,686 tests, the Porsche 911 passes its MOT 90.3% of the time. That is 8.5 percentage points better than coupes & convertibles of a similar age, which fail at 18.2%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
Best and worst 911 years
Ranked across 911 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
Not every year is equal — 96.4% of 2020 examples pass against 84.8% of 1999 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.8%) and tyres (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, catalyst emissions and rigid brake pipes — headlamp aim alone was recorded 7,042 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 3.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 17.8% once past 150k — 4.5× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 13.0% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every 911 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 265 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1981 | 400 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 750 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 716 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 1,082 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 1,418 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 1,810 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 2,034 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 1,996 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 2,841 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 3,667 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 1,531 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 1,052 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 1,351 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 2,733 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 3,359 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 4,970 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 3,889 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 5,863 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 6,961 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 5,349 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 8,454 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 13,253 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 14,560 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 13,402 | 87.1% | 12.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 15,369 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 15,396 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 13,189 | 90.2% | 9.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 9,729 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 7,354 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 8,445 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 6,117 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 7,811 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 6,604 | 94.9% | 5.1% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 8,189 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 9,036 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 8,967 | 96.0% | 4.0% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 9,975 | 95.5% | 4.5% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 11,495 | 95.3% | 4.7% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 8,714 | 95.7% | 4.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 2,230 | 96.4% | 3.6% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 250 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 100 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.8% | 12,039 |
| 2 | Tyres | 2.3% | 5,693 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.0% | 4,964 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 4,873 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 3,989 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.5% | 3,748 |
| 7 | Visibility | 1.5% | 3,691 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.5% | 1,348 |
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 | 7,042 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 4,412 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 3,539 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 3,072 |
| 5 | Joints | 2,634 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 2,541 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 2,390 |
| 8 | Washers | 2,294 |
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 | 13.0% | 32,733 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.6% | 31,855 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.7% | 16,858 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 11,770 |
| 5 | Other defects | 4.0% | 9,972 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.3% | 8,394 |
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 | 61,941 | 3.9% |
| 30-60k | 70,566 | 7.5% |
| 60-90k | 65,132 | 12.2% |
| 90-120k | 36,899 | 15.4% |
| 120-150k | 13,035 | 16.1% |
| 150k+ | 4,991 | 17.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 252,582 | 9.7% |
| Electric | 46 | 13.0% |
| Diesel | 38 | 10.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50,378 | 10.2% |
| 2022 | 51,855 | 9.6% |
| 2023 | 51,472 | 9.6% |
| 2024 | 49,672 | 9.8% |
| 2025 | 49,309 | 9.1% |
What to check before buying a Porsche 911
- Lighting & signalling (4.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (2.3% 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.
- Brakes (2.0% 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 Porsche 911?
90.3% of the 252,686 Porsche 911 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 9.7% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Porsche 911 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.8% of tests, then tyres (2.3%).
Which 911 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 96.4% and 1999 the weakest at 84.8%, from 2,230 and 6,961 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 911 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 3.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 17.8% for 150k+, a 13.9-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 252,686 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.