Bentley
2,181 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Flying Spurs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 18.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
96.1%
Pass-after-fix
0.2%
Fail
3.3%
Avg miles
37,076
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 · 2,178 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Flying Spur examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
96.1%
Fail
3.2%
PRS
0.2%
Avg mileage at test
38,013 mi
Pass
96.5%
Fail
3.5%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
20,848 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 785 MOT tests, the Flying Spur returns 93.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is worn suspension bushes. A seriously damaged tyre and a non-conforming number plate round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 34,571, 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
out of 50
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
16 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
13 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
9 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
7 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Wiper blade defective
4 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
£88–£275
If every one of this Flying Spur'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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Bentley Flying Spur makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
96.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 96.5% — a 0.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 20,848 miles — roughly 17K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: not working, for LED or HID headlamp inoperative — 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
96.1%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 96.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.5% 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 pin or bush excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 38,013 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (96.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (96.1% pass). That's a 0.4-point spread across 2,065 older tests and 113 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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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 Flying Spur 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.
