Harley Davidson
XL
3,658 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where XLs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.9%
Pass-after-fix
6.0%
Fail
4.9%
Avg miles
9,743
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 .
The picture
Xl: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 2,511 MOT tests, the Xl returns 88.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-conforming number plate. A missing rear reflector and stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 8,993, 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.
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- 01
Reflector colour or position not in accordance with the requirements
29 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
- 02
A stop lamp(s) remains on when the brakes are released
25 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
- 03
A mandatory tell-tale for direction indicators missing or inoperative
22 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
- 04
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
19 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 05
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
18 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 06
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
11 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 07
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
10 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 08
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
10 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
- 09
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
9 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
- 10
A wheel bearing excessively rough
9 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
£23–£70
If every one of this XL'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.
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
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
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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.
Recall history
3 UK recalls on record.
The XL has 3 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping an XL?
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 an XL 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.