The picture
Explorer: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 668 MOT tests, the Explorer returns 71.6% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. Battery insecure but not likely to fall and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 96,989, 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 suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
77 occurrences · 11.5% of tests
- 02
A battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier
35 occurrences · 5.2% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
32 occurrences · 4.8% of tests
- 04
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
31 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
- 05
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
27 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 06
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
25 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 07
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
21 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 08
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
19 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 09
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
18 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 10
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
18 occurrences · 2.7% 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
£148–£455
If every one of this Explorer'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 Explorer?
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 Explorer 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.