Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 10,244 tests

Pass rate climbs 2.0 points across the cohorts — newer Bentayga examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 5,195

Pass

95.7%

Fail

2.9%

PRS

1.1%

Avg mileage at test

45,607 mi

2018–2020 cohort 3,525

Pass

97.0%

Fail

2.3%

PRS

0.2%

Avg mileage at test

32,425 mi

2021+ cohort 1,524

Pass

97.7%

Fail

1.6%

PRS

0.0%

Avg mileage at test

22,514 mi

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

The picture

Bentayga: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 2,278 MOT tests, the Bentayga returns 94.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. Windscreen damage and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 33,890, 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 49–50

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 →

49–50

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

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

80 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
02

A tyre seriously damaged

54 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
03

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

27 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

16 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
05

A tyre seriously damaged

15 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
06

A tyre cords visible or damaged

14 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
07

Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements

12 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
08

Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator

11 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
09

Wiper blade defective

9 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
10

Emission control equipment fitted by the manufacturer missing, obviously modified or obviously defective

8 occurrences · 0.1% 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

£140–£335

If every one of this Bentayga'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Bentley Bentayga makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

97.7%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 97.7% — a 2.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 22,514 miles — roughly 23K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — 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

95.7%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 95.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 97.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, pin or bush excessively worn, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 45,607 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (97.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (95.7% pass). That's a 2.0-point spread across 5,195 older tests and 1,524 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

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

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Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

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Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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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.

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Buying or keeping a Bentayga?

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 Bentayga 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.