2025 MOT results
Rover 75 common problems
The most common reason a Rover 75 fails its MOT is structural corrosion, on 17.4% of its 2,493 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: the airbag light on at 8.7% of failures against 3.2% expected; structural corrosion at 17.4% of failures against 7.0% expected; a split joint boot at 6.9% of failures against 3.3% expected.
- Tests in 2025 6,210 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 40.1% 2,493 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Rover 75 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Rover 75 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 |
|---|---|
| Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | 17.4% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.8% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 10.5% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 9.2% |
| SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 8.7% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 8.5% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 7.8% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.5% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 6.0% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 5.9% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 5.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Structural corrosion
17.4% of failures 7.0% expected 2.5 times as often
Corrosion in a structural area near a suspension, steering or seat belt mounting, which is a serious failure.
Look at the inner sills, rear spring seats and subframe mounts on cars over about 12 years old.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
10.8% of failures 9.3% expected somewhat more often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Weak handbrake
10.5% of failures 6.7% expected 1.6 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Worn suspension bushes
9.2% of failures 4.7% expected 2 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Airbag light on
8.7% of failures 3.2% expected 2.7 times as often
The airbag warning light shows a fault in the restraint system.
Common causes are a seat belt buckle sensor, or a wiring loom under a front seat.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.5% of failures 5.0% 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Rover 75, on 55.0% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 37.9%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 55.0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 40.2% |
| Brakes | 30.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 19.7% |
| Visibility | 14.2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 13.2% |
| Tyres | 11.2% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.8% of Rover 75 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Rover 75s, 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 |
|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 21.8% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.0% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 11.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 9.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 8.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.9% |
| Component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Suspension | 6.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 6.2% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.2% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.8% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Rover 75 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Rover 75?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength” is the most common: it appears on 17.4% of failed Rover 75 tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 55.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Rover 75 fail its MOT?
40.1% of Rover 75 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 6,210 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 49 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Rover 75 than on other cars?
Yes. “SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault” appears on 8.7% of its failures against 3.2% for cars of the same age, and “Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength” appears on 17.4% of its failures against 7.0% 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 Rover 75 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 | 6,210 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.