Aston Martin
2,005 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Rapides pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.0 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
92.5%
Pass-after-fix
0.9%
Fail
6.0%
Avg miles
39,749
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,005 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.7 points across the cohorts — newer Rapide examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
92.2%
Fail
6.2%
PRS
1.0%
Avg mileage at test
41,926 mi
Pass
95.9%
Fail
4.1%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
16,186 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 903 MOT tests, the Rapide returns 90.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Tyre tread under the limit and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 35,620, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
49–50
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
36 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
20 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
17 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
13 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A headlamp cleaning device inoperative in the case of LED or gas discharge systems (HID)
13 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade defective
13 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
12 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
9 occurrences · 0.4% 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 2 failures
£18–£115
If every one of this Rapide'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.6-point gap between bands means the year you buy Aston Martin Rapide has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
95.9%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 95.9% — a 3.6-point improvement. Tests in this band average 16,186 miles — roughly 26K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: too high, warning lamp indicates a fault — 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
92.2%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 92.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 95.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the…, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 41,926 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (95.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (92.2% pass). That's a 3.6-point spread across 1,836 older tests and 169 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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
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 Rapide 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.
