Kawasaki Vn1500 MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 7,145 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 15.2%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Kawasaki Vn1500 MOT Reliability Overview
The Kawasaki Vn1500 is a less common vehicle in the UK, with 7,145 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 18 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 84.8% and a failure rate of 15.2%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Kawasaki Vn1500 earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Kawasaki Vn1500 presents for MOT with approximately 22,232 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2003 models achieve the highest pass rate at 89.8%, while 1988 models have the lowest at 77.2%. This 12.6 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Kawasaki Vn1500 is Motorcycle brakes, affecting 7.2% of all tests. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. The second most common issue is Motorcycle lighting and signalling at 6.5%. Motorcycle lamps and reflectors rounds out the top three at 4.4%. 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
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Kawasaki Vn1500. 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 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Kawasaki Vn1500 shows a relatively stable failure rate after warranty — the change of 0% is negligible. Peak failure occurs at age 20 (19.5% 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 Brakes | 8.1% | 577 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 7.1% | 506 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 4.4% | 314 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 3.7% | 266 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 2.8% | 202 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 2.1% | 152 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 1.8% | 128 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Tyres | 1.5% | 109 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 1.5% | 106 |
| 10 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.7% | 51 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Suspension | 0.6% | 41 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.5% | 35 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 0.4% | 31 |
| 14 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 0.4% | 28 |
| 15 | Brakes | 0.4% | 28 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 22,232 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 brakes | 3.63 | 8.1% | 577 |
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 3.19 | 7.1% | 506 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 1.98 | 4.4% | 314 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 1.67 | 3.7% | 266 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 1.27 | 2.8% | 202 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 0.96 | 2.1% | 152 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 0.81 | 1.8% | 128 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 0.69 | 1.5% | 109 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 0.67 | 1.5% | 106 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.32 | 0.7% | 51 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 0.26 | 0.6% | 41 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.22 | 0.5% | 35 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 0.20 | 0.4% | 31 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 0.18 | 0.4% | 28 |
| Brakes | 0.18 | 0.4% | 28 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Kawasaki Vn1500 has 22,232 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 Kawasaki Vn1500 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 6.84% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Kawasaki Vn1500 MOT Data
The Kawasaki Vn1500 is a less common vehicle in the UK, with 7,145 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 18 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 84.8% and a failure rate of 15.2%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Kawasaki Vn1500 owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle brakes 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 Vn1500 is likely to perform.
Motorcycle brakes — 7.2% of failures
Motorcycle brakes issues account for 7.2% of MOT failures on the Kawasaki Vn1500. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 6.5% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 6.5% of MOT failures on the Kawasaki Vn1500. 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 lamps and reflectors — 4.4% of failures
Motorcycle lamps and reflectors issues account for 4.4% of MOT failures on the Kawasaki Vn1500. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Kawasaki Vn1500?
Based on 7,145 MOT tests in our database, the Kawasaki Vn1500 has an overall pass rate of 84.8% (15.2% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Kawasaki Vn1500?
The top 3 reasons a Kawasaki Vn1500 fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle brakes (7.2%), 2. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (6.5%), 3. Motorcycle lamps and reflectors (4.4%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Kawasaki Vn1500 reliable?
With a 15.2% MOT failure rate, the Vn1500 is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Kawasaki Vn1500?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle brakes (7.2%); Motorcycle lighting and signalling (6.5%); Motorcycle lamps and reflectors (4.4%). 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.