Vespa (douglas) T5 MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 2,472 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 18.1%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Vespa (douglas) T5 MOT Reliability Overview
The Vespa (douglas) T5 is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 2,472 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 11 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 81.9% and a failure rate of 18.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Vespa (douglas) T5 earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Vespa (douglas) T5 presents for MOT with approximately 18,704 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1984 models achieve the highest pass rate at 89.5%, while 1992 models have the lowest at 76.2%. This 13.3 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Vespa (douglas) T5 is Motorcycle lighting and signalling, affecting 11.2% of all tests. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. The second most common issue is Motorcycle steering and suspension at 5.4%. Motorcycle brakes rounds out the top three at 5.3%. 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
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 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 12.5% | 310 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 6.9% | 171 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Brakes | 5.7% | 142 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 4.8% | 119 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 3.4% | 84 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 1.4% | 34 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Suspension | 1.3% | 31 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 1.1% | 28 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Tyres | 1.1% | 27 |
| 10 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 0.7% | 18 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.6% | 14 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 0.4% | 11 |
| 13 | Motorcycle Wheels | 0.4% | 9 |
| 14 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.3% | 7 |
| 15 | Motorcycle Driving Controls | 0.2% | 4 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 18,704 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 6.70 | 12.5% | 310 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 3.70 | 6.9% | 171 |
| Motorcycle brakes | 3.07 | 5.7% | 142 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 2.57 | 4.8% | 119 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 1.82 | 3.4% | 84 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 0.74 | 1.4% | 34 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 0.67 | 1.3% | 31 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 0.61 | 1.1% | 28 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 0.58 | 1.1% | 27 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 0.39 | 0.7% | 18 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.30 | 0.6% | 14 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 0.24 | 0.4% | 11 |
| Motorcycle wheels | 0.19 | 0.4% | 9 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.15 | 0.3% | 7 |
| Motorcycle driving controls | 0.09 | 0.2% | 4 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Vespa (douglas) T5 has 18,704 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 Vespa (douglas) T5 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 9.68% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Vespa (douglas) T5 MOT Data
The Vespa (douglas) T5 is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 2,472 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 11 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 81.9% and a failure rate of 18.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Vespa (douglas) T5 owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle lighting and signalling and motorcycle steering 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 T5 is likely to perform.
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 11.2% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 11.2% of MOT failures on the Vespa (douglas) T5. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Motorcycle steering and suspension — 5.4% of failures
Motorcycle steering and suspension issues account for 5.4% of MOT failures on the Vespa (douglas) T5. 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.
Motorcycle brakes — 5.3% of failures
Motorcycle brakes issues account for 5.3% of MOT failures on the Vespa (douglas) T5. 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Vespa (douglas) T5?
Based on 2,472 MOT tests in our database, the Vespa (douglas) T5 has an overall pass rate of 81.9% (18.1% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Vespa (douglas) T5?
The top 3 reasons a Vespa (douglas) T5 fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (11.2%), 2. Motorcycle steering and suspension (5.4%), 3. Motorcycle brakes (5.3%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Vespa (douglas) T5 reliable?
With a 18.1% MOT failure rate, the T5 is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Vespa (douglas) T5?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle lighting and signalling (11.2%); Motorcycle steering and suspension (5.4%); Motorcycle brakes (5.3%). 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.