The picture
500 Star: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 2,253 MOT tests, the 500 Star returns 86.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a defective wiper blade. A seriously damaged tyre and wipers that don't clear the screen round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 21,179, 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
Wiper blade defective
54 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 02
A tyre seriously damaged
48 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 03
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
46 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 04
A tyre seriously damaged
35 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 05
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
17 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 06
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
15 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
14 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 08
A tyre cords visible or damaged
13 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 09
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution.
12 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 10
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
11 occurrences · 0.5% 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 2 failures
£40–£90
If every one of this 500 Star'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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Tools that pre-empt a retest.
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 500 Star?
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 500 Star 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.