Renault Grand Espace MOT pass rate & common failures
The Renault Grand Espace appears in 13,067 MOT tests spanning model years 1998–2020, and 69.4% of them passed. That is 4.9 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.7%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Grand Espace years
Ranked across Grand Espace 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
The strongest year on this record is 2011 (71.9% pass rate); the weakest is 2006 (68.0%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (15.5%) and lighting & signalling (15.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, coil spring and ball joint — track rod end alone was recorded 1,044 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 26.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.4% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.7pp more often than petrol ones (30.8% vs 29.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 32.3% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Grand Espace model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 72 | 68.1% | 31.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 75 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 208 | 65.4% | 34.6% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 239 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 205 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 568 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 853 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 1,109 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 2,826 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 2,238 | 69.1% | 30.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 1,089 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 1,467 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 1,596 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 500 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 15.5% | 2,031 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 15.3% | 1,997 |
| 3 | Brakes | 11.1% | 1,444 |
| 4 | Steering | 7.8% | 1,016 |
| 5 | Tyres | 5.6% | 730 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.3% | 698 |
| 7 | Visibility | 4.3% | 559 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 343 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 1,044 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 862 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 837 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 800 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 621 |
| 6 | Joints | 494 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 419 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 417 |
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 | 32.3% | 4,218 |
| 2 | Tyres | 29.6% | 3,866 |
| 3 | Suspension | 27.5% | 3,594 |
| 4 | Other defects | 23.1% | 3,012 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 16.2% | 2,120 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 11.7% | 1,533 |
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 | 96 | 26.0% |
| 30-60k | 588 | 26.0% |
| 60-90k | 2,245 | 28.9% |
| 90-120k | 3,959 | 30.8% |
| 120-150k | 3,600 | 31.6% |
| 150k+ | 2,549 | 31.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 11,873 | 30.8% |
| Petrol | 1,194 | 29.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,503 | 31.1% |
| 2022 | 3,072 | 31.3% |
| 2023 | 2,599 | 29.9% |
| 2024 | 2,140 | 30.0% |
| 2025 | 1,753 | 30.1% |
What to check before buying a Renault Grand Espace
- Suspension (15.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (15.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (11.1% 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 Renault Grand Espace?
69.4% of the 13,067 Renault Grand Espace MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 30.6% fail rate, across model years 1998–2020.
What does the Renault Grand Espace most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 15.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (15.3%).
Which Grand Espace years are best and worst for MOT results?
2011 has the best pass rate at 71.9% and 2006 the weakest at 68.0%, from 1,596 and 1,109 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Grand Espace MOT results?
Fail rates run at 26.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.4% for 150k+, a 5.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Grand Espace more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 29.1% of the time against 30.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 13,067 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.