1971 Rover 3500 Auto — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years

Current Age

71.2%

Latest Pass Rate

531

Total Tests (All Years)

55,850 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 1971 Rover 3500 Auto as it ages.

38 yrs63.8%

→ ↑8.8%

39 yrs72.6%

→ ↓4.2%

40 yrs68.4%

→ ↓0.5%

41 yrs67.9%

→ ↓1.2%

42 yrs66.7%

→ ↑4.2%

43 yrs70.9%

→ ↑4.1%

44 yrs75.0%

→ ↓3.6%

45 yrs71.4%

→ ↓0.2%

46 yrs71.2%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
38 yrs	63.8%	69
39 yrs	72.6%	73
40 yrs	68.4%	57
41 yrs	67.9%	56
42 yrs	66.7%	57
43 yrs	70.9%	55
44 yrs	75.0%	56
45 yrs	71.4%	56
46 yrs	71.2%	52

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1971 Rover 3500 Auto pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (46 yrs)	71.2%	52
2016 (45 yrs)	71.4%	56
2015 (44 yrs)	75%	56
2014 (43 yrs)	70.9%	55
2013 (42 yrs)	66.7%	57
2012 (41 yrs)	67.9%	56
2011 (40 yrs)	68.4%	57
2010 (39 yrs)	72.6%	73
2009 (38 yrs)	63.8%	69

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

63.8%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 69Avg Mileage 55,516Top Failure Suspension — 23.2%

2010

72.6%

Age (yrs) 39Tests 73Avg Mileage 52,738Top Failure Brakes — 13.7%

2011

68.4%

Age (yrs) 40Tests 57Avg Mileage 52,664Top Failure Brakes — 24.6%

2012

67.9%

Age (yrs) 41Tests 56Avg Mileage 58,361Top Failure Brakes — 26.8%

2013

66.7%

Age (yrs) 42Tests 57Avg Mileage 54,812Top Failure Brakes — 52.6%

2014

70.9%

Age (yrs) 43Tests 55Avg Mileage 51,208Top Failure Brakes — 65.5%

2015

75.0%

Age (yrs) 44Tests 56Avg Mileage 50,354Top Failure Brakes — 42.9%

2016

71.4%

Age (yrs) 45Tests 56Avg Mileage 53,660Top Failure Brakes — 58.9%

2017

71.2%

Age (yrs) 46Tests 52Avg Mileage 55,850Top Failure Brakes — 46.2%

MOT results for 1971 Rover 3500 Auto by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	38	63.8%	69	55,516	Suspension — 23.2%
2010	39	72.6%	73	52,738	Brakes — 13.7%
2011	40	68.4%	57	52,664	Brakes — 24.6%
2012	41	67.9%	56	58,361	Brakes — 26.8%
2013	42	66.7%	57	54,812	Brakes — 52.6%
2014	43	70.9%	55	51,208	Brakes — 65.5%
2015	44	75.0%	56	50,354	Brakes — 42.9%
2016	45	71.4%	56	53,660	Brakes — 58.9%
2017	46	71.2%	52	55,850	Brakes — 46.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1971 Rover 3500 Auto, with age trends.

Brakes

39.2%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

23.5%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

19.9%

↑ Increases with age

Tyres

14.5%

— Consistent

Body, Structure and General Items

13.8%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	21.7% (38 yrs)	46.2% (46 yrs)	+24.5%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	23.2% (38 yrs)	36.5% (46 yrs)	+13.3%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	20.3% (38 yrs)	30.8% (46 yrs)	+10.5%	🔴 ↑
Body, Structure and General Items	11.6% (38 yrs)	13.5% (46 yrs)	+1.9%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

1971 1975

← Back to Rover 3500 Auto overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Rover 3500 Auto page →

About This Data

This page shows how Rover 3500 Auto cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 531 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.