Renault Twingo MOT pass rate & common failures
165,786 MOT tests on the Renault Twingo (1984–2023) give it a 75.8% pass rate. That is 4.2 percentage points worse than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 20.1%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Twingo years
Ranked across Twingo 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
Not every year is equal — 90.9% of 2019 examples pass against 69.4% of 2008 ones.
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 12.0% of all tests — 3.3 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, ball joint and track rod end — coil spring alone was recorded 9,580 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 12.5% in the 0-30k band and 34.3% in the 150k+ band, a 21.8-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 22.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 26.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Twingo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 45 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Brakes |
| 1995 | 41 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 39 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 30 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Brakes |
| 2000 | 64 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 79 | 77.2% | 22.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 91 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 54 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 44 | 77.3% | 22.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 46 | 65.2% | 34.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 51 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 3,308 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 20,491 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 11,168 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 28,734 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 17,270 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 8,600 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 6,623 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 5,838 | 78.2% | 21.8% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 31,649 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 17,879 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 7,996 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 4,516 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 1,026 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.0% | 19,923 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 14,534 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.2% | 10,209 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.7% | 9,440 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.1% | 8,378 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.6% | 5,981 |
| 7 | Steering | 3.5% | 5,892 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.2% | 3,686 |
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 | 9,580 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 6,925 |
| 3 | Track rod end | 6,271 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 5,848 |
| 5 | Catalyst emissions | 5,375 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 5,270 |
| 7 | Washers | 4,806 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 4,700 |
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 | 27.2% | 45,010 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.6% | 42,422 |
| 3 | Suspension | 19.1% | 31,594 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 10.4% | 17,197 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 8.5% | 14,045 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.0% | 11,645 |
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 | 33,107 | 12.5% |
| 30-60k | 60,655 | 22.8% |
| 60-90k | 46,422 | 29.7% |
| 90-120k | 19,837 | 32.5% |
| 120-150k | 4,703 | 33.7% |
| 150k+ | 934 | 34.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 165,713 | 24.2% |
| Diesel | 69 | 21.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34,264 | 22.1% |
| 2022 | 34,461 | 23.3% |
| 2023 | 33,758 | 24.3% |
| 2024 | 32,432 | 25.7% |
| 2025 | 30,871 | 26.0% |
What to check before buying a Renault Twingo
- Suspension (12.0% 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 (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.2% 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 Twingo?
75.8% of the 165,786 Renault Twingo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.2% fail rate, across model years 1984–2023.
What does the Renault Twingo most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 12.0% of tests, then lighting & signalling (8.8%).
Which Twingo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 90.9% and 2008 the weakest at 69.4%, from 1,026 and 20,491 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Twingo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.3% for 150k+, a 21.8-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 165,786 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.