1990 Rover Maestro — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1990 Rover Maestro passed 81.3% of its 262 recorded MOT tests. That is 3.1 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 21.8%. Failures cluster in brakes, emissions & environmental and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.8%) and emissions & environmental (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, non catalyst emissions and steering rack — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 16 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 24.2% in the 30-60k band and 12.5% in the 120-150k band, a 11.7-point spread.
Emissions & environmental is the most common advisory, noted on 21.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 20.8% in 2021 to 14.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.8% | 23 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 6.5% | 17 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.1% | 16 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.1% | 16 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.7% | 15 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.2% | 11 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 16 |
| 2 | Non catalyst emissions | 14 |
| 3 | Steering rack | 13 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 9 |
| 5 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 9 |
| 6 | Service brake imbalance | 8 |
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 | 21.8% | 57 |
| 2 | Suspension | 18.7% | 49 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 14.5% | 38 |
| 4 | Brakes | 12.6% | 33 |
| 5 | Visibility | 7.6% | 20 |
| 6 | Tyres | 7.2% | 19 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 66 | 24.2% |
| 60-90k | 86 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 44 | 27.3% |
| 120-150k | 32 | 12.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53 | 20.8% |
| 2022 | 58 | 22.4% |
| 2023 | 57 | 19.3% |
| 2024 | 52 | 15.4% |
| 2025 | 42 | 14.3% |
What to check before buying a 1990 Maestro
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.8% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.8% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (6.5% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Suspension (6.1% 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
How many 1990 Rover Maestros pass their MOT?
81.3% of the 262 1990 Rover Maestro MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 18.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1990 Rover Maestro?
Brakes, recorded in 8.8% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (6.5%).
Does the 1990 Maestro get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 24.2% in the 30-60k band to 12.5% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 262 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.