Renault Megane MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 37 model years and 811,533 tests, the Renault Megane passes its MOT 71.6% of the time. That is 6.3 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 22.1%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Megane years
Ranked across Megane 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2021 cars pass 88.5% of the time while 2006 cars manage 67.3%, a 21.3-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (16.9%) and suspension (14.1%) 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 stop lamp — coil spring alone was recorded 59,126 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 32.6% versus 13.1%.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 11.4% fail against 28.6% for petrol, a 17.2-point gap across 386,780 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 34.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Megane model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 135 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 378 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 786 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 1,738 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 6,466 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 14,050 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 19,931 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 14,434 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 11,960 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 22,981 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 35,608 | 67.3% | 32.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 54,596 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 47,553 | 68.7% | 31.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 68,382 | 68.6% | 31.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 118,023 | 69.1% | 30.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 95,496 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 63,530 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 50,326 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 49,177 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 42,529 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 31,602 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 31,021 | 83.6% | 16.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 11,886 | 85.2% | 14.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 11,835 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 3,744 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 1,754 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 1,487 | 86.2% | 13.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 121 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.9% | 136,839 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.1% | 113,999 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.5% | 77,183 |
| 4 | Steering | 6.2% | 50,388 |
| 5 | Tyres | 5.8% | 46,774 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.9% | 39,907 |
| 7 | Visibility | 4.6% | 37,404 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 18,625 |
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 | 59,126 |
| 2 | Track rod end | 49,673 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 47,476 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 46,667 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 43,698 |
| 6 | Ball joint | 43,046 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 39,185 |
| 8 | Joints | 33,356 |
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 | 34.5% | 280,154 |
| 2 | Tyres | 28.7% | 233,285 |
| 3 | Suspension | 24.3% | 197,360 |
| 4 | Other defects | 15.3% | 124,572 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 13.8% | 112,352 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.7% | 46,571 |
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 | 35,617 | 13.1% |
| 30-60k | 139,284 | 21.7% |
| 60-90k | 250,454 | 28.7% |
| 90-120k | 222,073 | 31.5% |
| 120-150k | 110,759 | 32.4% |
| 150k+ | 52,115 | 32.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 423,388 | 28.2% |
| Petrol | 386,236 | 28.6% |
| Electric | 1,361 | 13.7% |
| Hybrid | 544 | 11.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 200,508 | 28.5% |
| 2022 | 180,305 | 28.2% |
| 2023 | 162,241 | 28.4% |
| 2024 | 143,303 | 28.6% |
| 2025 | 125,176 | 28.2% |
What to check before buying a Renault Megane
- Lighting & signalling (16.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (14.1% 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 (9.5% 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 Megane?
71.6% of the 811,533 Renault Megane MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.4% fail rate, across model years 1988–2024.
What does the Renault Megane most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.9% of tests, then suspension (14.1%).
Which Megane years are best and worst for MOT results?
2021 has the best pass rate at 88.5% and 2006 the weakest at 67.3%, from 1,754 and 35,608 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Megane MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.6% for 150k+, a 19.5-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Megane more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 11.4% of the time against 28.6% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 811,533 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.