2012 Renault Grand Espace — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Renault Grand Espace passed 73.2% of its 500 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 21.5% of the time, so this is 5.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (13.2%) and lighting & signalling (11.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, track rod end and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 48 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2012 Grand Espace fails 26.0% of the time in the 30-60k band and 27.7% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.7 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 30.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 29.8% in 2021 to 27.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.2% | 66 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 11.0% | 55 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.6% | 33 |
| 4 | Steering | 6.4% | 32 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.2% | 26 |
| 6 | Tyres | 5.0% | 25 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 48 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 37 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 24 |
| 4 | Joints | 18 |
| 5 | Ball joint | 17 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 17 |
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 | 30.4% | 152 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.2% | 126 |
| 3 | Other defects | 14.2% | 71 |
| 4 | Suspension | 12.8% | 64 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 9.4% | 47 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.8% | 29 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 73 | 26.0% |
| 60-90k | 136 | 25.7% |
| 90-120k | 142 | 29.6% |
| 120-150k | 81 | 24.7% |
| 150k+ | 65 | 27.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 114 | 29.8% |
| 2022 | 99 | 25.3% |
| 2023 | 110 | 29.1% |
| 2024 | 92 | 21.7% |
| 2025 | 85 | 27.1% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Grand Espace
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 13.2% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (13.2% 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 (11.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.6% 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
How many 2012 Renault Grand Espaces pass their MOT?
73.2% of the 500 2012 Renault Grand Espace MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 26.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Renault Grand Espace?
Suspension, recorded in 13.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (11.0%).
Does the 2012 Grand Espace get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 26.0% in the 30-60k band to 27.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 500 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.