The picture
350: above-average pass rates, with caveats
Across 504 MOT tests, the 350 returns 84.9% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is wheel bearing with excessive play. A non-conforming number plate and a missing rear reflector round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 3,882, 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 wheel bearing with excessive play
14 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 02
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
12 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 03
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
12 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 04
Audible warning not working
10 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 05
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
7 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 06
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
5 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 07
A wheel bearing excessively rough
4 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 08
A stop lamp(s) does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls or remains on when the brakes are released
4 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 09
Projected beam image is obviously incorrect
4 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 10
Number plate showing an incorrect registration
3 occurrences · 0.6% 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
£25–£115
If every one of this 350'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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Build your own retest budget.
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.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a 350?
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 350 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.