MOT cost .
Aston Martin Vantage
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

Aston Martin

Vantage

12,718 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Vantages pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 17.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

94.6%

Pass-after-fix

1.3%

Fail

3.6%

Avg miles

25,430

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ borderline — check VRM

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 .

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 12,718 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.7 points across the cohorts — newer Vantage examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 8,044

Pass

93.9%

Fail

4.3%

PRS

1.2%

Avg mileage at test

30,443 mi

2018–2020 cohort 4,232

Pass

95.8%

Fail

2.6%

PRS

1.4%

Avg mileage at test

17,294 mi

2021+ cohort 442

Pass

96.6%

Fail

1.8%

PRS

0.7%

Avg mileage at test

12,458 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Vantage: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 4,707 MOT tests, the Vantage returns 92.6% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and the engine warning light staying lit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 24,602, 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

Group 48–50

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 →

48–50

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    89 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  2. 02

    A tyre seriously damaged

    61 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  3. 03

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    42 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  4. 04

    Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

    38 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  5. 05

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    33 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  6. 06

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    33 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  7. 07

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    28 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  8. 08

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    24 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  9. 09

    Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer

    23 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning

    22 occurrences · 0.2% 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

£35–£80

If every one of this Vantage'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.7-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Aston Martin Vantage makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

96.6%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 96.6% — a 2.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 12,458 miles — roughly 18K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not conform to the specified requirements, lens slightly defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

93.9%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 93.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative or indicates a malfunction, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 30,443 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (96.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (93.9% pass). That's a 2.7-point spread across 8,044 older tests and 442 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

MOT-spec replacement number plate

Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Motor World Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

Motor World

Motor World Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2005- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Recall history

16 UK recalls on record.

The Vantage has 16 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Vantage?

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 Vantage 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.