Aprilia
1,519 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Rs125s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 2.5 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
75.0%
Pass-after-fix
6.3%
Fail
18.2%
Avg miles
15,418
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,504 tests
Pass rate climbs 4.9 points across the cohorts — newer Rs125 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
74.2%
Fail
19.6%
PRS
5.7%
Avg mileage at test
16,801 mi
Pass
79.1%
Fail
10.7%
PRS
10.2%
Avg mileage at test
7,587 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,128 MOT tests, the Rs125 returns 76.1% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.0 mm. A stop-lamp out and audible warning not working round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 14,385, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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A footrest missing or insecure
49 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
33 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
25 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
21 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A stop lamp(s) does not illuminate by the operation of both brake controls or remains on when the brakes are released
20 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Projected beam image is obviously incorrect
19 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A wheel bearing excessively rough
18 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A transmission belt or chain excessively tight
16 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Rate of flashing not between 60 and 120 times per minute
15 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Audible warning not working
15 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£96–£230
If every one of this Rs125's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Aprilia Rs125 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
79.1%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 79.1% — a 4.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 7,587 miles — roughly 9K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: throwing direct white light to the rear, less than 1.0 mm thick — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
74.2%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 74.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 79.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: missing, not working, and not working. Average mileage on test for this band is 16,801 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (79.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (74.2% pass). That's a 4.9-point spread across 1,298 older tests and 206 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Rs125 and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
