2,221 tests in 2025
TVR Chimaera reliability and MOT pass rate
88.5% passed first time. The 11.5% fail rate is 11.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 27 years old with 56,569 miles.
Pass rate
88.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 11.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
56,569 mi
27 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 | 2,221 | 11.5% |
What the Chimaera 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 equipment20 dangerous47.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks29.4%
- Brakes13 dangerous25.9%
- Visibility19.2%
- Suspension7 dangerous16.5%
- Steering1 dangerous12.5%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous7.5%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems3.9%
Is the Chimaera getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1 point to 11.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about -3 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,504 | 24 | 12.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,473 | 25 | 12.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,016 | 26 | 12.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,220 | 27 | 11.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Chimaera 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 Chimaera in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements40 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits27 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits24 tests
- 4Headlamp aim: too high24 tests
- 5Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits21 tests
- 6Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits20 tests
- 7Stop lamp: all not working18 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working18 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Chimaera collects 2.31 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine285 tests
- 2Transmission oil leaks: leaking excessively from transmission71 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened66 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure55 tests
- 5Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened44 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm42 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened32 tests
- 8Chassis condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced29 tests
Questions
What is the TVR Chimaera MOT pass rate?
88.5% of the 2,221 TVR Chimaera first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 11.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a TVR Chimaera usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 40 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" and "Catalyst emissions: hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 47.1% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 29.4% of failures, brakes appears in 25.9% 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 11.5%. The median TVR Chimaera tested in 2025 was 27 years old with 56,569 miles.
Is the TVR Chimaera getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1 point to 11.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about -3 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
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 Chimaera trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Checking a particular Chimaera?
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.