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1978 Porsche 911 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age

48 years
Current Age
93.2%
Latest Pass Rate
1,303
Total Tests (All Years)
83,531 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1978 Porsche 911 as it ages.

31 yrs67.9%
32 yrs69.7%
33 yrs65.0%
34 yrs70.9%
35 yrs70.3%
36 yrs67.5%
37 yrs68.0%
38 yrs77.9%
39 yrs73.6%
40 yrs78.5%
41 yrs76.1%
43 yrs81.8%
46 yrs93.2%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 31 to 46 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
31 yrs67.9%134
32 yrs69.7%119
33 yrs65.0%120
34 yrs70.9%110
35 yrs70.3%111
36 yrs67.5%114
37 yrs68.0%122
38 yrs77.9%113
39 yrs73.6%129
40 yrs78.5%79
41 yrs76.1%46
43 yrs81.8%33
46 yrs93.2%73

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1978 Porsche 911 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 13 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (46 yrs)93.2%73
2021 (43 yrs)81.8%33
2019 (41 yrs)76.1%46
2018 (40 yrs)78.5%79
2017 (39 yrs)73.6%129
2016 (38 yrs)77.9%113
2015 (37 yrs)68%122
2014 (36 yrs)67.5%114
2013 (35 yrs)70.3%111
2012 (34 yrs)70.9%110
2011 (33 yrs)65%120
2010 (32 yrs)69.7%119
2009 (31 yrs)67.9%134

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
67.9%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 134Avg Mileage 99,455Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 23.1%
2010
69.7%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 119Avg Mileage 96,992Top Failure Brakes — 16.0%
2011
65.0%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 120Avg Mileage 95,354Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.5%
2012
70.9%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 110Avg Mileage 96,241Top Failure Suspension — 12.7%
2013
70.3%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 111Avg Mileage 101,712Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 43.2%
2014
67.5%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 114Avg Mileage 97,727Top Failure Brakes — 34.2%
2015
68.0%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 122Avg Mileage 101,114Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 51.6%
2016
77.9%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 113Avg Mileage 100,328Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.0%
2017
73.6%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 129Avg Mileage 98,137Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 44.2%
2018
78.5%
Age (yrs) 40Tests 79Avg Mileage 101,427Top Failure Brakes — 24.1%
2019
76.1%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 46Avg Mileage 96,971Top Failure Brakes — 23.9%
2021
81.8%
Age (yrs) 43Tests 33Avg Mileage 79,058Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 24.2%
2024
93.2%
Age (yrs) 46Tests 73Avg Mileage 83,531Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 12.3%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1978 Porsche 911, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
28.6%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
19.2%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
17.5%
— Consistent
Body, chassis, structure
13.7%
↓ Decreases with age
Driver's View of the Road
12.3%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes16.4% (31 yrs)4.1% (46 yrs)
-12.3%
🟢 ↓
Suspension9.0% (31 yrs)4.1% (46 yrs)
-4.9%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
← Back to Porsche 911 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Porsche 911 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Porsche 911 cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2024, covering 1,303 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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