The picture
V80: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 2,970 MOT tests, the V80 returns 72.3% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Windscreen damage and a weak handbrake round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 58,209, 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 rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
200 occurrences · 6.7% of tests
- 02
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
162 occurrences · 5.5% of tests
- 03
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
151 occurrences · 5.1% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
113 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 05
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
100 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
84 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
81 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 08
Warning device shows system malfunction
79 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
78 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 10
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
74 occurrences · 2.5% 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
£16–£70
If every one of this V80'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 →
Try the calculator
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.
Buying or keeping a V80?
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 V80 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.