Renault Grand Scenic MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 22 model years and 164,297 tests, the Renault Grand Scenic passes its MOT 71.5% of the time. That is 5.2 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 23.3%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Grand Scenic years
Ranked across Grand Scenic 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 2019 (82.8% pass rate); the weakest is 2005 (66.1%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 18.0% of all tests — 3.7 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, stop lamp and position lamp — coil spring alone was recorded 13,932 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 32.5% versus 15.3%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 28.2% of the time against 29.5% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 32.9% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Grand Scenic model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 979 | 64.9% | 35.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 5,924 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 7,451 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 11,194 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 10,527 | 66.8% | 33.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 10,416 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 34,167 | 69.2% | 30.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 29,564 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 11,333 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 3,590 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 5,905 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 9,031 | 77.8% | 22.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 8,154 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 6,714 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 4,049 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 4,309 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 935 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 18.0% | 29,613 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.3% | 23,549 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.9% | 13,028 |
| 4 | Steering | 6.4% | 10,571 |
| 5 | Tyres | 6.2% | 10,111 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.6% | 7,585 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.0% | 6,625 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 4,916 |
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 | 13,932 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 10,725 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 10,489 |
| 4 | Track rod end | 10,317 |
| 5 | Ball joint | 8,937 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 6,838 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 6,392 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 6,328 |
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 | 32.9% | 54,052 |
| 2 | Tyres | 31.1% | 51,175 |
| 3 | Suspension | 22.2% | 36,433 |
| 4 | Other defects | 17.9% | 29,479 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 23,540 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.7% | 9,343 |
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 | 7,196 | 15.3% |
| 30-60k | 25,147 | 21.5% |
| 60-90k | 46,522 | 28.1% |
| 90-120k | 49,305 | 31.3% |
| 120-150k | 24,591 | 32.4% |
| 150k+ | 10,688 | 32.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 119,767 | 28.2% |
| Petrol | 44,517 | 29.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40,909 | 28.7% |
| 2022 | 37,291 | 28.3% |
| 2023 | 33,096 | 28.3% |
| 2024 | 28,736 | 28.9% |
| 2025 | 24,265 | 28.5% |
What to check before buying a Renault Grand Scenic
- Lighting & signalling (18.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (14.3% 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.
- Brakes (7.9% 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 Scenic?
71.5% of the 164,297 Renault Grand Scenic MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.5% fail rate, across model years 2000–2021.
What does the Renault Grand Scenic most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 18.0% of tests, then suspension (14.3%).
Which Grand Scenic years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 82.8% and 2005 the weakest at 66.1%, from 4,309 and 5,924 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Grand Scenic MOT results?
Fail rates run at 15.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.5% for 150k+, a 17.3-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Grand Scenic more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 28.2% of the time against 29.5% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 164,297 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.