2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 458 MOT tests, the 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom recorded a 94.5% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (26.3% fail rate), the 2008 Phantom comes out 20.9pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and seat belts & restraints.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (2.2%) and tyres (2.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are registration plates, srs malfunction indicator lamp and washers — registration plates alone was recorded 8 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2008 Phantom fails 5.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 2.9% at 90-120k, a spread of only 2.1 points.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 4.3% in 2021 to 2.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2 | Tyres | 2.0% | 9 |
| 3 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.5% | 7 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.5% | 7 |
| 5 | Other defects | 1.5% | 7 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.1% | 5 |
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 | 8 |
| 2 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 7 |
| 3 | Washers | 5 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 4 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 3 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 3 |
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 | 7.0% | 32 |
| 2 | Brakes | 3.1% | 14 |
| 3 | Suspension | 1.8% | 8 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 6 |
| 5 | Visibility | 0.7% | 3 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.2% | 1 |
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 | 200 | 5.0% |
| 30-60k | 148 | 3.4% |
| 60-90k | 67 | 10.4% |
| 90-120k | 34 | 2.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 93 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | 91 | 5.5% |
| 2023 | 93 | 9.7% |
| 2024 | 92 | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 89 | 2.3% |
What to check before buying a 2008 Phantom
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 2.2% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (2.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (2.0% 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.
- Seat belts & restraints (1.5% of tests): Belt damage or faulty pretensioners — usually straightforward but safety-critical. Typical repair: £50–£300.
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 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantoms pass their MOT?
94.5% of the 458 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 5.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 2.2% of tests, followed by tyres (2.0%).
Does the 2008 Phantom get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.0% in the 0-30k band to 2.9% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 458 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.