1,061 tests in 2025
Renault Espace reliability and MOT pass rate
60.4% passed first time. The 39.6% fail rate is 17.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 121,277 miles.
Pass rate
60.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 39.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
121,277 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 3 | — |
| 10-13 years | 17 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,040 | 39.5% |
What the Espace 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.
- Suspension7 dangerous48.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous40.5%
- Brakes53 dangerous39.3%
- Steering2 dangerous26.2%
- Body, chassis, structure7 dangerous20.5%
- Visibility19.5%
- Tyres74 dangerous16.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous12.4%
Is the Espace getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.8 points to 39.6% 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 | 2,224 | 15 | 40.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,796 | 16 | 40.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,322 | 17 | 43% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,061 | 18 | 39.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Espace 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 Espace in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play80 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn78 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken63 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt55 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working47 tests
- 6Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault42 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect33 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick31 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Espace collects 3.44 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm232 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened194 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine152 tests
- 4Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened151 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)128 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded106 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure103 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick91 tests
Questions
What is the Renault Espace MOT pass rate?
60.4% of the 1,061 Renault Espace first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 39.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Renault Espace usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play", recorded on 80 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 48.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40.5% of failures, brakes appears in 39.3% 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 39.5%. The median Renault Espace tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 121,277 miles.
Is the Renault Espace getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.8 points to 39.6% 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 Espace 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 12 safety recalls naming the Renault Espace: Renault Espace recalls.
Other Renault models
- Clio 36.8%
- Captur 19.9%
- Grand Modus 42%
- Wind 37%
- G 41.5%
- Grand Espace 39.7%
- Megane Electric 16%
Checking a particular Espace?
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.