1,413 tests in 2025
Rover 45 reliability and MOT pass rate
65.7% passed first time. The 34.3% fail rate is 11.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 22 years old with 73,807 miles.
Pass rate
65.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 34.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
73,807 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 | 1,413 | 34.3% |
What the 45 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, structure12 dangerous42.9%
- Suspension14 dangerous42.9%
- Brakes40 dangerous36.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous24.9%
- Tyres95 dangerous18.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous16.9%
- Visibility12.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems10.5%
Is the 45 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.5 points to 34.3% 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 | 3,401 | 19 | 36.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,571 | 20 | 35.8% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,765 | 21 | 38.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,413 | 22 | 34.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 45 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 45 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength121 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt90 tests
- 3Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases58 tests
- 4Service brake performance: excessively binding56 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements36 tests
- 6SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault34 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded33 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working31 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 45 collects 3.52 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.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn225 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded194 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm186 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure180 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine154 tests
- 6Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength137 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases133 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened109 tests
Questions
What is the Rover 45 MOT pass rate?
65.7% of the 1,413 Rover 45 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 34.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Rover 45 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 121 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases". By section, body, chassis, structure appears in 42.9% of failures, suspension appears in 42.9% of failures, brakes appears in 36.1% 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 34.3%. The median Rover 45 tested in 2025 was 22 years old with 73,807 miles.
Is the Rover 45 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.5 points to 34.3% 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 45 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 45?
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.