Rover Streetwise MOT pass rate & common failures
3,447 MOT tests on the Rover Streetwise (2003–2008) give it a 74.1% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 27.7% of the time, so this is 1.8pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (14.3%) and body, structure & corrosion (11.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, component mounting prescribed areas and wipers — joints alone was recorded 296 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 14.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 34.3% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 25.7% of the time against 26.7% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 28.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 27.2% in 2021 to 22.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Streetwise model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 601 | 74.4% | 25.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 2,124 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 576 | 76.4% | 23.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 142 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Body, structure & corrosion |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 492 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.9% | 410 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.9% | 236 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.4% | 222 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.4% | 220 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.2% | 215 |
| 7 | Tyres | 4.8% | 167 |
| 8 | Steering | 4.7% | 161 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 296 |
| 2 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 195 |
| 3 | Wipers | 164 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 157 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 150 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 135 |
| 7 | Track rod end | 129 |
| 8 | Exhaust system | 117 |
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 | 28.3% | 977 |
| 2 | Suspension | 23.9% | 824 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 19.5% | 671 |
| 4 | Brakes | 18.5% | 638 |
| 5 | Steering | 11.7% | 402 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 10.8% | 373 |
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 | 155 | 14.2% |
| 30-60k | 894 | 22.5% |
| 60-90k | 1,305 | 26.7% |
| 90-120k | 749 | 28.3% |
| 120-150k | 274 | 31.0% |
| 150k+ | 70 | 34.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,725 | 25.7% |
| Diesel | 715 | 26.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,069 | 27.2% |
| 2022 | 826 | 25.2% |
| 2023 | 654 | 27.2% |
| 2024 | 514 | 24.9% |
| 2025 | 384 | 22.9% |
What to check before buying a Rover Streetwise
- Lighting & signalling (14.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (11.9% 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+.
- Brakes (6.9% 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 Streetwise?
74.1% of the 3,447 Rover Streetwise MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 25.9% fail rate, across model years 2003–2008.
What does the Rover Streetwise most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.3% of tests, then body, structure & corrosion (11.9%).
How much does mileage affect Streetwise MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.3% for 150k+, a 20.1-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Streetwise more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 25.7% of the time against 26.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,447 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.