Porsche Panamera MOT pass rate & common failures
34,829 MOT tests on the Porsche Panamera (2009–2023) give it a 90.1% pass rate. That is 4.3 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 14.2%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst Panamera years
Ranked across Panamera 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 — 92.4% of 2017 examples pass against 87.3% of 2011 ones.
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 5.9% of all tests — 4.0 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, coil spring and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 915 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 7.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 16.6% once past 150k — 2.3× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.3pp more often than petrol ones (12.0% vs 8.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 19.7% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Panamera model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 540 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 1,601 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Tyres |
| 2011 | 1,553 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 2,982 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 3,992 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 4,122 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 3,705 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 1,919 | 90.8% | 9.2% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 5,286 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 4,247 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 3,475 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 763 | 92.3% | 7.7% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 457 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 177 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.9% | 2,052 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 660 |
| 3 | Suspension | 1.6% | 565 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.2% | 419 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.0% | 362 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.7% | 241 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 221 |
| 8 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 105 |
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 | 915 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 506 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 443 |
| 4 | Registration plates | 402 |
| 5 | Wipers | 219 |
| 6 | Washers | 187 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 179 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 174 |
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 | 19.7% | 6,872 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.3% | 3,600 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.1% | 1,440 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.9% | 1,029 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 568 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.3% | 459 |
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 | 6,639 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 12,769 | 8.9% |
| 60-90k | 9,848 | 11.1% |
| 90-120k | 4,170 | 13.3% |
| 120-150k | 1,070 | 13.9% |
| 150k+ | 326 | 16.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 12,443 | 12.0% |
| Petrol | 12,406 | 8.7% |
| Hybrid | 9,948 | 8.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,239 | 10.1% |
| 2022 | 7,041 | 9.7% |
| 2023 | 7,138 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 7,171 | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 7,240 | 9.5% |
What to check before buying a Porsche Panamera
- Tyres (5.9% 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 (1.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (1.6% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
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 Panamera?
90.1% of the 34,829 Porsche Panamera MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 9.9% fail rate, across model years 2009–2023.
What does the Porsche Panamera most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.9% of tests, then lighting & signalling (1.9%).
Which Panamera years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 92.4% and 2011 the weakest at 87.3%, from 5,286 and 1,553 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Panamera MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 16.6% for 150k+, a 9.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Panamera more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 8.7% of the time against 12.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 34,829 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.