The picture
Cx-7: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 2,159 MOT tests, the Cx-7 returns 67.5% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a worn steering ball joint. A defective headlamp lens and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 100,927, 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 steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
149 occurrences · 6.9% of tests
- 02
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
145 occurrences · 6.7% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
135 occurrences · 6.3% of tests
- 04
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
127 occurrences · 5.9% of tests
- 05
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
105 occurrences · 4.9% of tests
- 06
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
90 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 07
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
65 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 08
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
59 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
57 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 10
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
50 occurrences · 2.3% 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 4 failures
£178–£595
If every one of this CX 7'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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
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 CX 7?
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 CX 7 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.