The picture
Unclassified: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 677 MOT tests, the Unclassified returns 71.6% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a broken or weak spring. A weak handbrake and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 88,337, 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 spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
37 occurrences · 5.5% of tests
- 02
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
23 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
22 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 04
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
22 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 05
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
18 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 06
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
17 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 07
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
17 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 08
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
16 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 09
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
16 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 10
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
15 occurrences · 2.2% 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–£370
If every one of this Unclassified'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
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
Item 02 · 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
Buying or keeping a Unclassified?
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 Unclassified 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.