2020 Renault Megane — MOT failures & pass rate
3,744 MOT tests on the 2020 Renault Megane are in this dataset, and 86.8% of them passed. Small family cars of a similar age fail 8.9% of the time, so this is 4.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.7%) and visibility (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 192 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.7% versus 8.9%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.5% fail against 17.0% for diesel, a 6.5-point gap across 3,664 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 4.8% of tests failed in 2022 against 14.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.7% | 213 |
| 2 | Visibility | 5.4% | 202 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 155 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 97 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.9% | 70 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 41 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 192 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 98 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 86 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 75 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 69 |
| 6 | Washers | 49 |
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 | 22.8% | 854 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.4% | 614 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.8% | 218 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.1% | 117 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.1% | 116 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 73 |
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 | 1,745 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 1,298 | 15.3% |
| 60-90k | 475 | 18.3% |
| 90-120k | 166 | 22.9% |
| 120-150k | 44 | 22.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,170 | 10.5% |
| Diesel | 1,494 | 17.0% |
| Hybrid | 76 | 11.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 62 | 4.8% |
| 2023 | 1,234 | 12.2% |
| 2024 | 1,232 | 13.6% |
| 2025 | 1,194 | 14.1% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Megane
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.7% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.7% 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.
- Visibility (5.4% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Lighting & signalling (4.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2020 Renault Meganes pass their MOT?
86.8% of the 3,744 2020 Renault Megane MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Renault Megane?
Tyres, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by visibility (5.4%).
Does the 2020 Megane get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.9% in the 0-30k band to 22.7% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,744 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.