Rover 216 MOT pass rate & common failures
5,278 MOT tests on the Rover 216 (1985–2021) give it a 75.7% pass rate. That is effectively the same as all cars of a similar age (24.4% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (10.7%) and body, structure & corrosion (8.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, service brake performance and component mounting prescribed areas — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 598 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 18.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.4% once past 150k.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 24.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 25.8% in 2021 to 23.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 216 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 61 | 77.0% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 163 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Suspension |
| 1991 | 187 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1992 | 366 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 548 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1994 | 646 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1995 | 868 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1996 | 519 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1997 | 635 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1998 | 869 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1999 | 372 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Emissions & environmental |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.7% | 564 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.8% | 464 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 8.7% | 460 |
| 4 | Brakes | 8.5% | 449 |
| 5 | Suspension | 7.3% | 388 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.0% | 261 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.2% | 167 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.7% | 141 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 598 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 364 |
| 3 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 288 |
| 4 | Joints | 236 |
| 5 | Wipers | 204 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 183 |
| 7 | Exhaust system | 169 |
| 8 | Stop lamp | 142 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 24.6% | 1,296 |
| 2 | Tyres | 19.9% | 1,051 |
| 3 | Brakes | 19.3% | 1,019 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 17.6% | 929 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 15.2% | 800 |
| 6 | Other defects | 13.7% | 721 |
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 | 250 | 18.4% |
| 30-60k | 1,250 | 21.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,880 | 24.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,238 | 26.1% |
| 120-150k | 446 | 28.0% |
| 150k+ | 214 | 30.4% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,362 | 25.8% |
| 2022 | 1,203 | 24.6% |
| 2023 | 1,042 | 23.4% |
| 2024 | 871 | 23.4% |
| 2025 | 800 | 23.1% |
What to check before buying a Rover 216
- Lighting & signalling (10.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (8.8% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Emissions & environmental (8.7% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 Rover 216?
75.7% of the 5,278 Rover 216 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.3% fail rate, across model years 1985–2021.
What does the Rover 216 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.7% of tests, then body, structure & corrosion (8.8%).
How much does mileage affect 216 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 18.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.4% for 150k+, a 12.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,278 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.