Rolls-Royce Dawn MOT pass rate & common failures
2,081 MOT tests on the Rolls-Royce Dawn (2013–2022) give it a 95.6% pass rate. That is 7.8 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 12.2%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, other defects and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.1%) and other defects (1.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, rbt (sp) and headlamp aim — registration plates alone was recorded 32 times.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 12.1% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Dawn model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 587 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 551 | 97.5% | 2.5% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 539 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 248 | 94.3% | 5.7% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 101 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 37 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.1% | 64 |
| 2 | Other defects | 1.0% | 20 |
| 3 | Brakes | 0.9% | 18 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 0.4% | 9 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.1% | 3 |
| 6 | Visibility | 0.1% | 2 |
| 7 | Road wheels | 0.1% | 1 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registration plates | 32 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 13 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 13 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 10 |
| 5 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 3 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 2 |
| 7 | Wipers | 1 |
| 8 | Parking brake performance | 1 |
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 | 12.1% | 251 |
| 2 | Other defects | 1.1% | 24 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.1% | 23 |
| 4 | Visibility | 0.6% | 13 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 0.4% | 8 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.4% | 8 |
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 | 1,848 | 4.1% |
| 30-60k | 208 | 7.7% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 367 | 4.6% |
| 2022 | 415 | 4.3% |
| 2023 | 429 | 4.2% |
| 2024 | 434 | 5.3% |
| 2025 | 436 | 3.4% |
What to check before buying a Rolls-Royce Dawn
- Tyres (3.1% 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.
- Other defects (1.0% of tests): Miscellaneous items not in the main categories. Typical repair: varies.
- Brakes (0.9% 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 Rolls-Royce Dawn?
95.6% of the 2,081 Rolls-Royce Dawn MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 4.4% fail rate, across model years 2013–2022.
What does the Rolls-Royce Dawn most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 3.1% of tests, then other defects (1.0%).
Methodology & source. Based on 2,081 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.