Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit MOT pass rate & common failures
The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit appears in 4,389 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2020, and 86.1% of them passed. Against all cars of a similar age (21.2% fail rate), the Silver Spirit comes out 7.4pp better. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (7.5%) and lighting & signalling (6.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), washers and position lamp — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 224 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 18.6% versus 10.0%.
Emissions & environmental is the most common advisory, noted on 19.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 16.0% in 2021 to 12.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Silver Spirit model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 38 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1981 | 163 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 206 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 139 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Brakes |
| 1984 | 220 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Brakes |
| 1985 | 290 | 85.2% | 14.8% | Brakes |
| 1986 | 394 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Brakes |
| 1987 | 379 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Brakes |
| 1988 | 430 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Brakes |
| 1989 | 436 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Brakes |
| 1990 | 490 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 219 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Brakes |
| 1992 | 236 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 145 | 88.3% | 11.7% | Brakes |
| 1994 | 178 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 209 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 183 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.5% | 331 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 295 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.3% | 191 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 158 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 113 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 91 |
| 7 | Tyres | 1.8% | 79 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.5% | 66 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 224 |
| 2 | Washers | 105 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 105 |
| 4 | Wipers | 87 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 85 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 81 |
| 7 | Non catalyst emissions | 69 |
| 8 | Parking brake performance | 69 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emissions & environmental | 19.5% | 857 |
| 2 | Suspension | 18.4% | 806 |
| 3 | Brakes | 12.7% | 557 |
| 4 | Tyres | 11.5% | 503 |
| 5 | Steering | 7.3% | 319 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.6% | 289 |
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 | 389 | 10.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,168 | 11.1% |
| 60-90k | 1,453 | 13.7% |
| 90-120k | 964 | 17.1% |
| 120-150k | 309 | 18.1% |
| 150k+ | 97 | 18.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,066 | 16.0% |
| 2022 | 963 | 13.3% |
| 2023 | 890 | 13.6% |
| 2024 | 781 | 13.3% |
| 2025 | 689 | 12.5% |
What to check before buying a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit
- Brakes (7.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (4.3% 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.
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 Silver Spirit?
86.1% of the 4,389 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 13.9% fail rate, across model years 1980–2020.
What does the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 7.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (6.7%).
How much does mileage affect Silver Spirit MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.6% for 150k+, a 8.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,389 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.