The picture
Berlingo: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 237,330 MOT tests, the Berlingo returns 66.9% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Windscreen damage and a lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 93,528, 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.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
20,818 occurrences · 8.8% of tests
- 02
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
12,366 occurrences · 5.2% of tests
- 03
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
12,032 occurrences · 5.1% of tests
- 04
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
9,826 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 05
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
9,479 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 06
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
9,200 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 07
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
8,521 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 08
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
8,464 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 09
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
6,148 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 10
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
5,808 occurrences · 2.4% 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
£16–£70
If every one of this Berlingo'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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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.
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Good payload for size. Safety tech. Engaging to drive.
Buying or keeping a Berlingo?
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 Berlingo 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.