MOT cost .
Triumph Bonneville
MOT 2023
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Triumph

Bonneville

18,868 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Bonnevilles pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 14.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

90.3%

Pass-after-fix

5.4%

Fail

4.2%

Avg miles

10,138

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

The picture

Bonneville: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 18,868 MOT tests, the Bonneville returns 90.3% 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-conforming number plate round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 10,138, 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

    Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

    121 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    109 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  3. 03

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    101 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  4. 04

    Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear

    86 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  5. 05

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

    52 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

    42 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  7. 07

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

    41 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  8. 08

    A lamp missing or inoperative

    40 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  9. 09

    Audible warning not working

    38 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

    36 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

£155–£290

If every one of this Bonneville'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

Item 03 · Amazon UK

MOT-spec replacement number plate

Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.

Search Amazon UK

Buying or keeping a Bonneville?

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 Bonneville 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.