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1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche MOT Pass Rate

Pass rate for Corniche models manufactured in 1981, based on 201 real MOT test results.

83.1%
Pass Rate
16.9%
Fail Rate
201
Total Tests
64,643
Avg Mileage

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche MOT Analysis

The 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche has an MOT pass rate of 83.1% based on 201 tests — well above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 64,643 miles on the odometer. With a 16.9% failure rate, the 1981 Corniche is rated as "Excellent" for MOT reliability.

The leading cause of MOT failure for the 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche is Tyres, responsible for 1.5% of failures. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs range from £50–200 per tyre. Steering is the second most common issue at 0.5%. Suspension follows at 0.5%.

Top failures specific to 1981 models only. The overall Corniche page may show different rankings.

What Fails Most

Tyres 1.5%
Steering 0.5%
Suspension 0.5%

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Tyres1.5%3
2Steering0.5%1
3Suspension0.5%1

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 64,643 mi

For 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.

Tyres0.23% per 10K miSteering0.08% per 10K miSuspension0.08% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Tyres0.231.5%3
Steering0.080.5%1
Suspension0.080.5%1

Mileage Statistics

64,643
Mean
59,923
Median
32,213
25th Percentile
83,864
75th Percentile
2.61% failures per 10K miles

Mileage-adjusted failure rate — accounts for how much this model year is typically driven.

About This Data

The 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche has an MOT pass rate of 83.1% based on 201 tests — well above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 64,643 miles on the odometer. With a 16.9% failure rate, the 1981 Corniche is rated as "Excellent" for MOT reliability.

If you own or are considering buying a 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche, you can expect reliable MOT performance overall. Before your MOT, pay particular attention to tyres: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating. At 64,643 average miles, these vehicles are in the mid-range where component wear starts to become a factor.

Tyres — 1.5% of failures

Tyres issues account for 1.5% of MOT failures on 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche models. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.

Steering — 0.5% of failures

Steering issues account for 0.5% of MOT failures on 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche models. Steering failures include excessive play in the steering wheel, leaking power steering fluid, worn track rod ends, and damaged steering rack. These affect vehicle control and are closely related to suspension wear. Typical repair costs: £150–600. Pre-MOT check: Check for excessive steering wheel play (more than a few inches of free movement). Listen for whining from the power steering pump. Look for fluid leaks under the car near the front wheels.

Suspension — 0.5% of failures

Suspension issues account for 0.5% of MOT failures on 1981 Rolls-Royce Corniche models. 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.

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

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