The picture
R Series: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 11,039 MOT tests, the R Series returns 92.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.0 mm. Tyre tread under the limit and a non-functioning shock absorber round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 38,795, 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
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
62 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 02
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
62 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 03
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
53 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 04
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
43 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 05
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution
39 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing or inoperative
24 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 07
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
21 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 08
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
19 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 09
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
19 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 10
Steering ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
17 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 2 failures
£140–£255
If every one of this R Series'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.
Item 01 · 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 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
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
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Buying or keeping a R Series?
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 R Series 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.