MOT cost .

Triumph

Thunderbird

3,217 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Thunderbirds pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 14.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

90.6%

Pass-after-fix

4.1%

Fail

5.0%

Avg miles

17,707

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Thunderbird: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 3,217 MOT tests, the Thunderbird returns 90.6% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Brake pads worn below 1.0 mm and a non-functioning shock absorber round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 17,707, 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.

  1. 01

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    25 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  2. 02

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    17 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  3. 03

    A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

    15 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  4. 04

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps

    12 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

  5. 05

    Audible warning not working

    11 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  6. 06

    A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    10 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  7. 07

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  8. 08

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  9. 09

    A lamp missing or inoperative

    8 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    8 occurrences · 0.2% 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–£290

If every one of this Thunderbird'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

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Item 03 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Thunderbird?

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 Thunderbird 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.