Renault Scenic MOT pass rate & common failures
The Renault Scenic appears in 289,279 MOT tests spanning model years 1999–2024, and 72.4% of them passed. Against MPVs of a similar age (24.5% fail rate), the Scenic comes out 3.1pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Scenic years
Ranked across 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2019 cars pass 88.7% of the time while 2005 cars manage 67.7%, a 21.0-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (16.1%) and suspension (13.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, position lamp and track rod end — coil spring alone was recorded 22,566 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 16.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 33.0% once past 150k.
The diesel cars hold up better: 26.7% fail against 29.0% for petrol, a 2.3-point gap across 289,269 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 33.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Scenic model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 43 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Visibility |
| 2000 | 662 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 2,047 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 3,471 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 4,820 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 7,374 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 10,357 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 20,941 | 68.5% | 31.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 29,259 | 68.5% | 31.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 23,465 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 14,997 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 45,518 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 30,184 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 18,673 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 19,951 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 21,096 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 19,124 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 6,380 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 6,284 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 3,264 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 1,319 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 37 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.1% | 46,558 |
| 2 | Suspension | 13.4% | 38,716 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.3% | 23,867 |
| 4 | Steering | 5.9% | 16,937 |
| 5 | Tyres | 5.3% | 15,263 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.0% | 14,509 |
| 7 | Visibility | 4.6% | 13,246 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 2.4% | 7,031 |
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 | 22,566 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 20,379 |
| 3 | Track rod end | 15,364 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 15,134 |
| 5 | Joints | 12,580 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 12,080 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 11,069 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 10,753 |
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 | 33.7% | 97,422 |
| 2 | Tyres | 29.7% | 85,917 |
| 3 | Suspension | 22.3% | 64,566 |
| 4 | Other defects | 18.0% | 52,069 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 15.0% | 43,270 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.4% | 18,636 |
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 | 15,442 | 16.7% |
| 30-60k | 62,083 | 22.0% |
| 60-90k | 97,778 | 28.0% |
| 90-120k | 73,687 | 31.2% |
| 120-150k | 29,099 | 32.1% |
| 150k+ | 10,041 | 33.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 172,834 | 26.7% |
| Petrol | 116,435 | 29.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 74,145 | 27.6% |
| 2022 | 65,125 | 27.3% |
| 2023 | 57,599 | 27.5% |
| 2024 | 49,803 | 28.0% |
| 2025 | 42,607 | 27.9% |
What to check before buying a Renault Scenic
- Lighting & signalling (16.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (13.4% 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 (8.3% 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 Scenic?
72.4% of the 289,279 Renault Scenic MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 27.6% fail rate, across model years 1999–2024.
What does the Renault Scenic most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.1% of tests, then suspension (13.4%).
Which Scenic years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 88.7% and 2005 the weakest at 67.7%, from 1,319 and 10,357 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Scenic MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.0% for 150k+, a 16.3-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Scenic more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 26.7% of the time against 29.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 289,279 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.