The picture
250: above-average pass rates, with caveats
Across 571 MOT tests, the 250 returns 82.0% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is wheel bearing with excessive play. A non-conforming number plate and audible warning not working round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 3,121, 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 wheel bearing with excessive play
13 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 02
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
12 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 03
Audible warning not working
12 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 04
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
9 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 05
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
7 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 06
A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely
6 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 07
A tyre not fitted in accordance with the direction of rotation marked on the side wall
6 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 08
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
5 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 09
An unsuitable tyre fitted
5 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 10
A transmission belt, chain, sprocket or pulley excessively loose or worn
5 occurrences · 0.9% 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 250'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.
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
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
Buying or keeping a 250?
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 250 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.