Rover 75 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 39 model years and 62,573 tests, the Rover 75 passes its MOT 70.7% of the time. Large family cars of a similar age fail 28.0% of the time, so this is 1.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst 75 years
Ranked across 75 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2006 cars pass 73.0% of the time while 2004 cars manage 69.7%, a 3.3-point spread.
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 18.5% of tests against 13.1% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, component mounting prescribed areas and rigid brake pipes — headlamp aim alone was recorded 5,113 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 34.5% versus 13.9%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 27.1% fail against 30.8% for diesel, a 3.7-point gap across 62,560 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 37.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 30.1% in 2021 to 28.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 75 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1,117 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 3,059 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 5,840 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 10,893 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 14,212 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 17,525 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 8,257 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 1,458 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 132 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 45 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 18.5% | 11,591 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 13.1% | 8,165 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.7% | 6,695 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 3,738 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.9% | 3,065 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 4.5% | 2,835 |
| 7 | Tyres | 4.2% | 2,634 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 3.2% | 2,012 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 5,113 |
| 2 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 4,904 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 3,440 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 3,260 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,956 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 2,615 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 2,472 |
| 8 | Coil spring | 2,150 |
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 | 37.8% | 23,676 |
| 2 | Brakes | 37.1% | 23,228 |
| 3 | Tyres | 25.1% | 15,716 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 18.2% | 11,390 |
| 5 | Other defects | 10.9% | 6,827 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.3% | 6,476 |
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 | 1,141 | 13.9% |
| 30-60k | 8,174 | 21.3% |
| 60-90k | 15,766 | 27.3% |
| 90-120k | 15,988 | 30.9% |
| 120-150k | 11,096 | 32.6% |
| 150k+ | 10,295 | 34.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 37,955 | 30.8% |
| Petrol | 24,605 | 27.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,220 | 30.1% |
| 2022 | 14,658 | 29.3% |
| 2023 | 12,134 | 29.4% |
| 2024 | 9,685 | 28.8% |
| 2025 | 7,876 | 28.1% |
What to check before buying a Rover 75
- Suspension (18.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (13.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.7% 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 Rover 75?
70.7% of the 62,573 Rover 75 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 29.3% fail rate, across model years 1983–2021.
What does the Rover 75 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 18.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (13.1%).
Which 75 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2006 has the best pass rate at 73.0% and 2004 the weakest at 69.7%, from 1,458 and 17,525 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 75 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.5% for 150k+, a 20.6-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 75 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.1% of the time against 30.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 62,573 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.