Rolls-Royce Phantom MOT pass rate & common failures
The Rolls-Royce Phantom appears in 4,211 MOT tests spanning model years 1981–2023, and 96.1% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (21.8% fail rate), the Phantom comes out 17.9pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (1.5%) and lighting & signalling (1.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are washers, headlamp aim and srs malfunction indicator lamp — washers alone was recorded 36 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 2.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 7.4% once past 150k — 2.6× the risk.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 4.5% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Phantom model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 105 | 96.2% | 3.8% | Visibility |
| 2004 | 256 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 294 | 96.9% | 3.1% | Tyres |
| 2006 | 386 | 94.3% | 5.7% | Visibility |
| 2007 | 420 | 95.0% | 5.0% | Seat belts & restraints |
| 2008 | 458 | 94.5% | 5.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 191 | 96.9% | 3.1% | Tyres |
| 2010 | 209 | 97.1% | 2.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 221 | 96.4% | 3.6% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 147 | 95.2% | 4.8% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 151 | 96.7% | 3.3% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 237 | 97.9% | 2.1% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 182 | 97.8% | 2.2% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 207 | 98.1% | 1.9% | Visibility |
| 2017 | 43 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
| 2018 | 348 | 98.0% | 2.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 193 | 97.9% | 2.1% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 59 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
| 2021 | 37 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 1.5% | 63 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.3% | 53 |
| 3 | Visibility | 0.9% | 40 |
| 4 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.8% | 34 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.7% | 29 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.5% | 21 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 19 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.4% | 17 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washers | 36 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 31 |
| 3 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 28 |
| 4 | Registration plates | 25 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 22 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 15 |
| 7 | Rigid brake pipes | 14 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 14 |
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 | 7.8% | 329 |
| 2 | Brakes | 3.4% | 145 |
| 3 | Suspension | 1.8% | 74 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 63 |
| 5 | Other defects | 1.1% | 45 |
| 6 | Visibility | 0.6% | 26 |
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 | 1,969 | 2.9% |
| 30-60k | 1,179 | 4.4% |
| 60-90k | 525 | 4.6% |
| 90-120k | 328 | 5.5% |
| 120-150k | 115 | 3.5% |
| 150k+ | 94 | 7.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 849 | 4.5% |
| 2022 | 850 | 4.5% |
| 2023 | 863 | 5.2% |
| 2024 | 807 | 2.4% |
| 2025 | 842 | 2.7% |
What to check before buying a Rolls-Royce Phantom
- Tyres (1.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (1.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (0.9% 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.
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 Phantom?
96.1% of the 4,211 Rolls-Royce Phantom MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 3.9% fail rate, across model years 1981–2023.
What does the Rolls-Royce Phantom most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 1.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (1.3%).
How much does mileage affect Phantom MOT results?
Fail rates run at 2.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 7.4% for 150k+, a 4.6-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,211 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.