Gilera Cougar MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 3,704 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 43.1%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Gilera Cougar MOT Reliability Overview
The Gilera Cougar is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 3,704 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 4 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 56.9% and a failure rate of 43.1%, which is slightly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Gilera Cougar earns a "Below Average" reliability rating. The average Gilera Cougar presents for MOT with approximately 8,314 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2002 models achieve the highest pass rate at 58.6%, while 2001 models have the lowest at 55.6%. This 3.0 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Gilera Cougar is Motorcycle steering and suspension, affecting 40.5% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Motorcycle lighting and signalling at 29.9%. Motorcycle drive system rounds out the top three at 16.6%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 4 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Gilera Cougar vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Gilera Cougar. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 6 to 14 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Gilera Cougar shows a relatively stable failure rate after warranty — the change of 0% is negligible. Peak failure occurs at age 10 (48.3% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 59.8% | 2,214 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 38.6% | 1,429 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Drive System | 20.5% | 760 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Brakes | 18.4% | 683 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 17.7% | 656 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 7.6% | 282 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 6.6% | 246 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 6.6% | 245 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 4.3% | 160 |
| 10 | Motorcycle Suspension | 4.0% | 149 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Driving Controls | 2.6% | 96 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Steering | 2.3% | 85 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 1.8% | 65 |
| 14 | Motorcycle Tyres | 1.1% | 40 |
| 15 | Non-component Advisories | 0.9% | 35 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 8,314 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 71.89 | 59.8% | 2,214 |
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 46.40 | 38.6% | 1,429 |
| Motorcycle drive system | 24.68 | 20.5% | 760 |
| Motorcycle brakes | 22.18 | 18.4% | 683 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 21.30 | 17.7% | 656 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 9.16 | 7.6% | 282 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 7.99 | 6.6% | 246 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 7.96 | 6.6% | 245 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 5.20 | 4.3% | 160 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 4.84 | 4.0% | 149 |
| Motorcycle driving controls | 3.12 | 2.6% | 96 |
| Motorcycle steering | 2.76 | 2.3% | 85 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 2.11 | 1.8% | 65 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 1.30 | 1.1% | 40 |
| Non-component advisories | 1.14 | 0.9% | 35 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Gilera Cougar has 8,314 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Gilera Cougar has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 51.84% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Gilera Cougar MOT Data
The Gilera Cougar is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 3,704 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 4 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 56.9% and a failure rate of 43.1%, which is slightly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Gilera Cougar owners, these results suggest average reliability — some preparation before MOT can improve pass chances. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle steering and suspension and motorcycle lighting and signalling for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Cougar is likely to perform.
Motorcycle steering and suspension — 40.5% of failures
Motorcycle steering and suspension issues account for 40.5% of MOT failures on the Gilera Cougar. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 29.9% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 29.9% of MOT failures on the Gilera Cougar. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Motorcycle drive system — 16.6% of failures
Motorcycle drive system issues account for 16.6% of MOT failures on the Gilera Cougar. Motorcycle drive system issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Gilera Cougar?
Based on 3,704 MOT tests in our database, the Gilera Cougar has an overall pass rate of 56.9% (43.1% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Gilera Cougar?
The top 3 reasons a Gilera Cougar fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle steering and suspension (40.5%), 2. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (29.9%), 3. Motorcycle drive system (16.6%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Gilera Cougar reliable?
With a 43.1% MOT failure rate, the Cougar is about average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Gilera Cougar?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle steering and suspension (40.5%); Motorcycle lighting and signalling (29.9%); Motorcycle drive system (16.6%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.