1997 Rover 218 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years

Current Age

58.5%

Latest Pass Rate

1,756

Total Tests (All Years)

99,514 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 1997 Rover 218 as it ages.

12 yrs43.6%

→ ↓2.3%

13 yrs41.3%

→ ↑2.2%

14 yrs43.5%

→ ↓4.4%

15 yrs39.1%

→ ↑15.8%

16 yrs54.9%

→ ↓4.4%

17 yrs50.5%

→ ↓8.0%

18 yrs42.5%

→ ↑9.4%

19 yrs51.9%

→ ↑8.1%

20 yrs60.0%

→ ↓13.1%

21 yrs46.9%

→ ↑11.6%

27 yrs58.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
12 yrs	43.6%	505
13 yrs	41.3%	392
14 yrs	43.5%	248
15 yrs	39.1%	161
16 yrs	54.9%	102
17 yrs	50.5%	91
18 yrs	42.5%	73
19 yrs	51.9%	54
20 yrs	60.0%	45
21 yrs	46.9%	32
27 yrs	58.5%	53

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Rover 218 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2024 (27 yrs)	58.5%	53
2018 (21 yrs)	46.9%	32
2017 (20 yrs)	60%	45
2016 (19 yrs)	51.9%	54
2015 (18 yrs)	42.5%	73
2014 (17 yrs)	50.5%	91
2013 (16 yrs)	54.9%	102
2012 (15 yrs)	39.1%	161
2011 (14 yrs)	43.5%	248
2010 (13 yrs)	41.3%	392
2009 (12 yrs)	43.6%	505

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

43.6%

Age (yrs) 12Tests 505Avg Mileage 89,063Top Failure Brakes — 33.5%

2010High Fail Rate

41.3%

Age (yrs) 13Tests 392Avg Mileage 93,225Top Failure Brakes — 37.0%

2011High Fail Rate

43.5%

Age (yrs) 14Tests 248Avg Mileage 92,341Top Failure Brakes — 34.3%

2012High Fail Rate

39.1%

Age (yrs) 15Tests 161Avg Mileage 91,882Top Failure Brakes — 36.6%

2013High Fail Rate

54.9%

Age (yrs) 16Tests 102Avg Mileage 91,815Top Failure Brakes — 64.7%

2014High Fail Rate

50.5%

Age (yrs) 17Tests 91Avg Mileage 95,170Top Failure Brakes — 81.3%

2015High Fail Rate

42.5%

Age (yrs) 18Tests 73Avg Mileage 97,641Top Failure Brakes — 84.9%

2016High Fail Rate

51.9%

Age (yrs) 19Tests 54Avg Mileage 93,953Top Failure Suspension — 72.2%

2017High Fail Rate

60.0%

Age (yrs) 20Tests 45Avg Mileage 86,109Top Failure Suspension — 55.6%

2018High Fail Rate

46.9%

Age (yrs) 21Tests 32Avg Mileage 93,657Top Failure Brakes — 96.9%

2024High Fail Rate

58.5%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 53Avg Mileage 99,514Top Failure Brakes — 52.8%

MOT results for 1997 Rover 218 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	12	43.6%	505	89,063	Brakes — 33.5%
2010	13	41.3%	392	93,225	Brakes — 37.0%
2011	14	43.5%	248	92,341	Brakes — 34.3%
2012	15	39.1%	161	91,882	Brakes — 36.6%
2013	16	54.9%	102	91,815	Brakes — 64.7%
2014	17	50.5%	91	95,170	Brakes — 81.3%
2015	18	42.5%	73	97,641	Brakes — 84.9%
2016	19	51.9%	54	93,953	Suspension — 72.2%
2017	20	60.0%	45	86,109	Suspension — 55.6%
2018	21	46.9%	32	93,657	Brakes — 96.9%
2024	27	58.5%	53	99,514	Brakes — 52.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Rover 218, with age trends.

Brakes

58.0%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

44.4%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

40.3%

↓ Decreases with age

Non-component advisories

34.0%

— Consistent

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

33.7%

↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	33.5% (12 yrs)	52.8% (27 yrs)	+19.3%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	20.0% (12 yrs)	26.4% (27 yrs)	+6.4%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

← Back to Rover 218 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Rover 218 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Rover 218 cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2024, covering 1,756 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.