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Talbot Express 1500 MOT Pass Rate

Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 2,973 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 45.9%.

54.1%
Pass Rate
45.9%
Fail Rate
2,973
Total Tests
Brakes
Top Failure

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Talbot Express 1500 MOT Reliability Overview

The Talbot Express 1500 is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 2,973 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 6 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 54.1% and a failure rate of 45.9%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.

Based on this data, the Talbot Express 1500 earns a "Poor" reliability rating. The average Talbot Express 1500 presents for MOT with approximately 71,372 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1993 models achieve the highest pass rate at 56.5%, while 1991 models have the lowest at 47.1%. This 9.4 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.

The most common MOT failure for the Talbot Express 1500 is Brakes, affecting 62.3% of all tests. 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. The second most common issue is Suspension at 42.9%. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment rounds out the top three at 32.6%. 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

⚖️ Compare

Best Year to Buy

📊
Insufficient data per manufacture year for this analysis

📈 How Each Vintage Ages

📈
Insufficient data per manufacture year for this analysis

📉 How Age Affects Reliability

MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Talbot Express 1500. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).

Insufficient data
No MOT data available for warranty-age vehicles (years 3–4)

Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 16 to 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.

Fail Rate %
This model Fleet average

💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?

The Talbot Express 1500 shows a relatively stable failure rate after warranty — the change of 0% is negligible. Peak failure occurs at age 20 (50.0% 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

1994High Fail Rate
53.4%
Tests Avg Mileage 64,637Top Failure Brakes
1993High Fail Rate
56.5%
Tests Avg Mileage 72,945Top Failure Brakes
1992High Fail Rate
55.5%
Tests Avg Mileage 67,097Top Failure Brakes
1991High Fail Rate
47.1%
Tests Avg Mileage 75,420Top Failure Brakes
1990High Fail Rate
50.3%
Tests Avg Mileage 79,258Top Failure Brakes
1989High Fail Rate
55.8%
Tests Avg Mileage 94,429Top Failure Brakes

* 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
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Brakes73.9%2,197
2Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment68.6%2,040
3Suspension52.7%1,566
4Body, Chassis, Structure13.6%403
5Tyres11.4%339
6Driver's View Of The Road11.0%327
7Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions10.3%306
8Steering9.8%291
9Body, Structure And General Items5.9%174
10Visibility4.7%140
11Noise, Emissions And Leaks3.1%93
12Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems2.6%78
13Non-component Advisories1.6%48
14Registration Plates And Vin1.5%46

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 71,372 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.

Brakes10.35% per 10K miLamps & Electrical9.61% per 10K miSuspension7.38% per 10K miBody & Structure2.72% per 10K miVisibility2.20% per 10K miTyres1.60% per 10K miEmissions & Exhaust1.44% per 10K miSteering1.37% per 10K miNoise, emissions and leaks0.44% per 10K miSeat Belts0.37% per 10K miNon-component advisories0.23% per 10K miRegistration Plates and VIN0.22% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Brakes10.3573.9%2,197
Lamps & Electrical9.6168.6%2,040
Suspension7.3852.7%1,566
Body & Structure2.7219.5%577
Visibility2.2015.7%467
Tyres1.6011.4%339
Emissions & Exhaust1.4410.3%306
Steering1.379.8%291
Noise, emissions and leaks0.443.1%93
Seat Belts0.372.6%78
Non-component advisories0.231.6%48
Registration Plates and VIN0.221.5%46

🚗 Similar Cars to Consider

🚗
No comparable models

Mileage at MOT

71,372
Mean
77,228
Median
56,596
25th Percentile
107,245
75th Percentile

The average Talbot Express 1500 has 71,372 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.

6.43%
Fail Rate per 10K Miles
Average across all makes: 5.38%
45.9%
Overall Fail Rate
71,372 avg miles
⚠️ Average — typical failure rate

The Talbot Express 1500 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 6.43% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.

About Talbot Express 1500 MOT Data

The Talbot Express 1500 is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 2,973 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 6 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 54.1% and a failure rate of 45.9%, which is below the UK average of approximately 37%.

For Talbot Express 1500 owners, these results suggest above-average failure risk — thorough pre-MOT checks are recommended. Focus your pre-MOT checks on brakes and suspension 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 Express 1500 is likely to perform.

Brakes — 62.3% of failures

Brakes issues account for 62.3% of MOT failures on the Talbot Express 1500. 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).

Suspension — 42.9% of failures

Suspension issues account for 42.9% of MOT failures on the Talbot Express 1500. 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.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 32.6% of failures

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 32.6% of MOT failures on the Talbot Express 1500. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MOT pass rate for the Talbot Express 1500?

Based on 2,973 MOT tests in our database, the Talbot Express 1500 has an overall pass rate of 54.1% (45.9% fail rate).

What are the most common MOT failures on a Talbot Express 1500?

The top 3 reasons a Talbot Express 1500 fails its MOT are: 1. Brakes (62.3%), 2. Suspension (42.9%), 3. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (32.6%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.

Is the Talbot Express 1500 reliable?

With a 45.9% MOT failure rate, the Express 1500 is less reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.

What should I check before an MOT on my Talbot Express 1500?

Based on failure data, focus on: Brakes (62.3%); Suspension (42.9%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (32.6%). 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.

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