2025 MOT results
Renault Megane common problems
The most common reason a Renault Megane fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 19.8% of its 41,916 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a worn steering or suspension joint at 13.6% of failures against 4.3% expected; a brake light out at 15.3% of failures against 7.5% expected; a broken coil spring at 19.8% of failures against 10.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 93,832 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 44.7% 41,916 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.2% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 66.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Renault Megane MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Renault Megane tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 19.8% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.3% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 13.6% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 10.0% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 9.6% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 7.8% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.5% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 7.0% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.6% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.8% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
19.8% of failures 10.0% expected 2 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Brake light out
15.3% of failures 7.5% expected 2 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
13.6% of failures 4.3% expected 3.2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Sidelight out
11.7% of failures 10.5% expected about as expected
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
10.0% of failures 6.0% expected 1.7 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Split joint boot
9.6% of failures 5.1% expected 1.9 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Renault Megane, on 49.7% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 16.5% against 7.6% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 49.7% |
| Suspension | 44.7% |
| Brakes | 28.2% |
| Steering | 16.5% |
| Tyres | 16.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.5% |
| Visibility | 11.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
66.8% of Renault Megane tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Renault Meganes, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 21.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 18.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.0% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.2% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 7.9% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 5.8% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 5.2% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has slight play Steering | 5.1% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 5.0% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 4.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Renault Megane gets older
A 2019 Renault Megane failed 23.2% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2006 one failed 50.9%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2019 Renault Megane 23.2% failed, from 2,491 tests
- Headlamp out 15.7%
- Worn brake pads 10.4%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 8.8%
- Split joint boot 8.3%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 7.6%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 7.1%
2006 Renault Megane 50.9% failed, from 2,327 tests
- Sidelight out 19.1%
- Headlamp aim out of line 17.1%
- Brake light out 16.2%
- Worn steering or suspension joint 13.4%
- Headlamp out 12.8%
- Broken coil spring 12.3%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Renault Megane problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Renault Megane?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 19.8% of failed Renault Megane tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 49.7% of failed tests.
How often does a Renault Megane fail its MOT?
44.7% of Renault Megane tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 93,832 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 36 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Renault Megane than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play” appears on 13.6% of its failures against 4.3% for cars of the same age, and “Stop lamp: not working” appears on 15.3% of its failures against 7.5% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Renault Megane aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 93,832 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.