3,839 tests in 2025
Aston Martin Db9 reliability and MOT pass rate
91.3% passed first time. The 8.7% fail rate is 13.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 38,356 miles.
Pass rate
91.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 8.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
38,356 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 184 | — |
| 10-13 years | 560 | 5.9% |
| 14+ years | 3,095 | 9.7% |
What the Db9 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous40.9%
- Brakes23 dangerous20.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks19.4%
- Visibility18.8%
- Suspension1 dangerous15.2%
- Tyres37 dangerous12.2%
- Identification of the vehicle3.6%
- Body, chassis, structure3.3%
Is the Db9 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.1 points to 8.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,491 | 15 | 8.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 4,379 | 16 | 8.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 3,566 | 17 | 8.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 3,839 | 18 | 8.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Db9 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Db9 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction52 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working50 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken32 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively27 tests
- 5Headlamp aim: too low24 tests
- 6Washers: not working18 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak18 tests
- 8Stop lamp: not working17 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Db9 collects 2.53 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure233 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm215 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick135 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened111 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded96 tests
- 6Flexible brake hoses: ferrule excessively corroded88 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak67 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened49 tests
Questions
What is the Aston Martin Db9 MOT pass rate?
91.3% of the 3,839 Aston Martin Db9 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 8.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Aston Martin Db9 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction", recorded on 52 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40.9% of failures, brakes appears in 20.9% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 19.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 9.7%. The median Aston Martin Db9 tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 38,356 miles.
Is the Aston Martin Db9 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.1 points to 8.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Db9 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 9 safety recalls naming the Aston Martin Db9: Aston Martin Db9 recalls.
Other Aston Martin models
Checking a particular Db9?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.