1990 Talbot Express# — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1990 Talbot Express# passed 68.5% of its 4,023 recorded MOT tests. That is 9.6 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 21.9%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, body, structure & corrosion and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 25.2% of all tests — 9.8 points clear of body, structure & corrosion, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, headlamp aim and component mounting prescribed areas — headlamp alone was recorded 605 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 33.3% in the 0-30k band and 39.2% in the 150k+ band, a 5.8-point spread.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 31.1% of the time against 31.8% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 38.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 34.2% in 2021 to 29.8% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 25.2% | 1,015 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 15.4% | 619 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.1% | 608 |
| 4 | Suspension | 10.7% | 429 |
| 5 | Visibility | 9.1% | 366 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 149 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 605 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 563 |
| 3 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 487 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 411 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 293 |
| 6 | Joints | 284 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 38.8% | 1,559 |
| 2 | Suspension | 36.8% | 1,480 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 28.7% | 1,156 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 17.5% | 703 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 15.8% | 636 |
| 6 | Tyres | 14.8% | 596 |
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 | 36 | 33.3% |
| 30-60k | 589 | 27.8% |
| 60-90k | 1,779 | 30.4% |
| 90-120k | 1,207 | 33.6% |
| 120-150k | 311 | 33.4% |
| 150k+ | 97 | 39.2% |
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,202 | 31.1% |
| Diesel | 1,810 | 31.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 972 | 34.2% |
| 2022 | 890 | 32.5% |
| 2023 | 790 | 29.6% |
| 2024 | 707 | 30.3% |
| 2025 | 664 | 29.8% |
What to check before buying a 1990 Express#
On a 1990 Express#, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 25.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (25.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (15.4% 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 (15.1% 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
How many 1990 Talbot Express#s pass their MOT?
68.5% of the 4,023 1990 Talbot Express# MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 31.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1990 Talbot Express#?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 25.2% of tests, followed by body, structure & corrosion (15.4%).
Does the 1990 Express# get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 33.3% in the 0-30k band to 39.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,023 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.