Rover Metro MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 52,261 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 47.3%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Rover Metro MOT Reliability Overview
The Rover Metro is a moderately popular vehicle in the UK, with 52,261 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 18 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 52.7% and a failure rate of 47.3%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Rover Metro earns a "Poor" reliability rating. The average Rover Metro presents for MOT with approximately 50,475 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1986 models achieve the highest pass rate at 78.0%, while 1996 models have the lowest at 45.0%. This 33.0 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Rover Metro is Suspension, affecting 34.8% of all tests. 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. The second most common issue is Brakes at 26.3%. Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions rounds out the top three at 20.8%. 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
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 9 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Rover Metro vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 34 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Rover Metro. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 12 to 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Rover Metro shows a relatively stable failure rate after warranty — the change of 0% is negligible. Peak failure occurs at age 13 (57.0% 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 | Suspension | 58.1% | 30,388 |
| 2 | Brakes | 41.0% | 21,407 |
| 3 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 29.2% | 15,282 |
| 4 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 28.5% | 14,881 |
| 5 | Tyres | 20.4% | 10,669 |
| 6 | Body, Structure And General Items | 16.4% | 8,574 |
| 7 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 15.1% | 7,879 |
| 8 | Driver's View Of The Road | 12.9% | 6,734 |
| 9 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 2.6% | 1,360 |
| 10 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 2.6% | 1,358 |
| 11 | Steering | 2.0% | 1,062 |
| 12 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.4% | 745 |
| 13 | Items Not Tested | 1.3% | 697 |
| 14 | Visibility | 0.9% | 491 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 50,475 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11.52 | 58.1% | 30,388 |
| Brakes | 8.12 | 41.0% | 21,407 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 5.79 | 29.2% | 15,282 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 5.64 | 28.5% | 14,881 |
| Tyres | 4.04 | 20.4% | 10,669 |
| Body & Structure | 3.77 | 19.0% | 9,934 |
| Seat Belts | 2.99 | 15.1% | 7,879 |
| Visibility | 2.74 | 13.8% | 7,225 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.51 | 2.6% | 1,358 |
| Steering | 0.40 | 2.0% | 1,062 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.28 | 1.4% | 745 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.26 | 1.3% | 697 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Rover Metro has 50,475 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 Rover Metro has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 9.37% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Rover Metro MOT Data
The Rover Metro is a moderately popular vehicle in the UK, with 52,261 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 18 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 52.7% and a failure rate of 47.3%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Rover Metro owners, these results suggest above-average failure risk — thorough pre-MOT checks are recommended. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and brakes 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 Metro is likely to perform.
Suspension — 34.8% of failures
Suspension issues account for 34.8% of MOT failures on the Rover Metro. 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.
Brakes — 26.3% of failures
Brakes issues account for 26.3% of MOT failures on the Rover Metro. 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).
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions — 20.8% of failures
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions issues account for 20.8% of MOT failures on the Rover Metro. Emissions failures occur when exhaust gases exceed legal limits for carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), or particulate matter (diesel). Common causes include faulty oxygen sensors, clogged catalytic converters, or DPF issues on diesel vehicles. Typical repair costs: £100–1,000+. Pre-MOT check: If the engine management light is on, get it diagnosed before the MOT. For diesel cars, ensure the DPF has completed a regeneration cycle. Regular servicing and using premium fuel before the test can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Rover Metro?
Based on 52,261 MOT tests in our database, the Rover Metro has an overall pass rate of 52.7% (47.3% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Rover Metro?
The top 3 reasons a Rover Metro fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (34.8%), 2. Brakes (26.3%), 3. Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions (20.8%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Rover Metro reliable?
With a 47.3% MOT failure rate, the Metro is less reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Rover Metro?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (34.8%); Brakes (26.3%); Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions (20.8%). 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.