The picture

B: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 3,145 MOT tests, the B returns 80.6% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is emissions levels exceed default limits. Brakes imbalance across an axle such and a missing steering gaiter round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 43,923, 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

Group 12–28

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. 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 →

12–28

out of 50

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Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

67 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
02

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

64 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
03

Emissions levels exceed default limits

64 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
04

Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

49 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
05

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

46 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
06

Audible warning inoperative

46 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
07

Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

46 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
08

Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.

42 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
09

Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated

37 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
10

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

36 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

£88–£275

If every one of this B'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.

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My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Summit

Summit ADRG-60 MG Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£7.69

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Autotek

Autotek Ford Nordic Blue 300ml

£14.29

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Motor World

Motor World MG Rover F 95-2002 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

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Motor World

Motor World Rover MGB Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Buying or keeping a B?

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 B 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.