Morgan
2,322 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Plus 4s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.3%
Pass-after-fix
1.6%
Fail
7.7%
Avg miles
22,902
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 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,311 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.1 points across the cohorts — newer Plus 4 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
90.0%
Fail
7.8%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
24,964 mi
Pass
93.0%
Fail
6.2%
PRS
0.7%
Avg mileage at test
8,503 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,565 MOT tests, the Plus 4 returns 86.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a binding brake. A missing steering gaiter and brakes imbalance across an axle such round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 21,798, 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.
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Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
21 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
19 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
19 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade defective
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
16 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
12 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
11 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
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.
11 occurrences · 0.5% 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 3 failures
£108–£320
If every one of this Plus 4'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Morgan Plus 4 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
93.0%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.0% — a 3.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 8,503 miles — roughly 16K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the…, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
90.0%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 90.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: not working, blade defective, and ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt. Average mileage on test for this band is 24,964 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (90.0% pass). That's a 3.0-point spread across 2,038 older tests and 273 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
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.
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 Plus 4 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.
