MOT pass rates / Rover
Rover MOT pass rates and common failures
Rover cars passed 62.6% of their MOTs first time in 2024, across 17,099 class-4 initial tests and 4 model groups. That is below the 71.2% UK average, and ranks Rover 51st of 59 makes in the dataset.
Pass rates track age more strongly than badge: an older Rover is compared here against older cars of every other make, so read the age table below before drawing conclusions about the brand.
Checking a Rover?
Make-level pass rates cannot reveal the condition or provenance of one car.
Check its registration free for the actual MOT, tax and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.
What Rover cars fail on
The items most often behind a first-test failure across Rover model groups, as a share of Rover tests. DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes rather than every possible one.
- Brake Performance — 7.5% of Rover tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Suspension Arms — 5.7% of Rover tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamp Aim — 4.9% of Rover tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% of Rover tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
- Component Mounting Prescribed Areas — 4.8% of Rover tests. Corrosion near a mounting point for a tested component. This is the kind of rust that gets expensive — inspect it.
- Anti-roll Bars — 3.2% of Rover tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
- Transmission — 2.2% of Rover tests. A fault with a driveshaft, gaiter or transmission component. Costs vary widely.
- Headlamps — 1.9% of Rover tests. A headlight fault, from a blown bulb to a failed unit.
Rover MOT pass rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 15–30 years | 17,089 | 62.6% |
Rover models by MOT pass rate
| Model | Tests | Initial pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 75 | 6,900 | 58% |
| Mini | 5,639 | 70.8% |
| 25 | 2,788 | 62.1% |
| 45 | 1,772 | 55.5% |
How many Rover vehicles are left?
At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 25,720 licensed and 76,041 SORN Rover vehicles across 25 published model groups.
Licensed and SORN counts for every Rover model
Before you buy
- Brake Performance — 7.5% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
- Suspension Arms — 5.7% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
- Headlamp Aim — 4.9% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
- Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
- Check the actual Rover — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.
Common questions
What is the Rover MOT pass rate?
62.6% of 17,099 class-4 initial MOT tests on Rover cars passed first time in 2024 — below the 71.2% UK average across all published models.
Which Rover has the best MOT pass rate?
Of the Rover model groups with a substantial sample, the Mini has the highest initial pass rate at 70.8% across 5,639 tests. Pass rates track vehicle age closely, so newer model groups tend to sit higher.
Does a good Rover pass rate mean the car I am looking at is fine?
No. A model-level rate describes a population, not one vehicle. Enter the registration for that car's own MOT, tax and mileage record, and check for outstanding finance, write-off and stolen markers before you buy.
Methodology and limitations
MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.
Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.
Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check the actual car
Enter the registration for that Rover's own free MOT, tax and mileage record. Before money changes hands, the £9.99 full history check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen checks.