The picture
Espace: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 2,439 MOT tests, the Espace returns 64.9% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. A worn steering ball joint and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 122,290, 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
162 occurrences · 6.6% of tests
- 02
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
144 occurrences · 5.9% of tests
- 03
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
132 occurrences · 5.4% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
121 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
- 05
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
115 occurrences · 4.7% of tests
- 06
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
103 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
89 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 08
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
72 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 09
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
71 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 10
A battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier
65 occurrences · 2.7% 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 4 failures
£248–£755
If every one of this Espace'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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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 Espace?
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 Espace 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.