The picture
Modena 125: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 494 MOT tests, the Modena 125 returns 79.2% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is headlamp missing, inoperative. Direction indicator lamp missing and steering head bearings have excessive wear round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 3,020, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
12 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 02
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
8 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 03
Steering head bearings have excessive wear or play
7 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 04
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
7 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 05
Projected beam image is obviously incorrect
7 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 06
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
5 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 07
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
5 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 08
A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released
5 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 09
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
5 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 10
A tyre with a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure, including any lifting of the tread rubber
5 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£110–£350
If every one of this Modena 125's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Buying or keeping a Modena 125?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Modena 125 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.