The picture
Almera: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 23,447 MOT tests, the Almera returns 65.0% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn steering gaiter. A number-plate lamp out and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 87,530, 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
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
2,013 occurrences · 8.6% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,608 occurrences · 6.9% of tests
- 03
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
1,341 occurrences · 5.7% of tests
- 04
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
978 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 05
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
890 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
773 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 07
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
700 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 08
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
670 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 09
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
639 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 10
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
638 occurrences · 2.7% 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
£108–£435
If every one of this Almera'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
Headlight restoration kit
Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.
Search Amazon UK
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
"Does my car have a timing chain or a cambelt?" It is the £3000 question every car owner eventually asks. Whether you are driving a high-mileage diesel or a modern downsized hybrid, knowing what's fitted to your engine is the difference between a routine service and a catastrophic engine failure.
Buying or keeping a Almera?
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 Almera 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.