2,281 tests in 2025
Rover 25 reliability and MOT pass rate
68.8% passed first time. The 31.2% fail rate is 8.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 22 years old with 63,293 miles.
Pass rate
68.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 31.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
63,293 mi
22 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,281 | 31.2% |
What the 25 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.
- Body, chassis, structure5 dangerous44.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment16 dangerous36.7%
- Brakes44 dangerous29.7%
- Suspension5 dangerous25.6%
- Visibility16.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks15.5%
- Tyres93 dangerous12.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2 dangerous8.7%
Is the 25 getting worse?
The fail rate held at 31.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,388 | 19 | 31.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 4,182 | 20 | 31.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,758 | 21 | 30.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,281 | 22 | 31.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 25 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 25 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt195 tests
- 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength117 tests
- 3Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively73 tests
- 4Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases70 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding58 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working55 tests
- 7Service brake imbalance: across an axle54 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working43 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 25 collects 3.17 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 structure368 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm263 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine235 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded201 tests
- 5Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength176 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases169 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened162 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding145 tests
Questions
What is the Rover 25 MOT pass rate?
68.8% of the 2,281 Rover 25 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 31.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Rover 25 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 195 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively". By section, body, chassis, structure appears in 44.7% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 36.7% of failures, brakes appears in 29.7% 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 31.2%. The median Rover 25 tested in 2025 was 22 years old with 63,293 miles.
Is the Rover 25 getting less reliable?
The fail rate held at 31.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.2 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 25 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Rover models
Checking a particular 25?
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.