The picture
Primastar: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 15,714 MOT tests, the Primastar returns 61.7% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a worn steering ball joint. Windscreen damage and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 140,234, 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
1,363 occurrences · 8.7% of tests
- 02
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,341 occurrences · 8.5% of tests
- 03
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,069 occurrences · 6.8% of tests
- 04
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
893 occurrences · 5.7% of tests
- 05
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
854 occurrences · 5.4% of tests
- 06
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
845 occurrences · 5.4% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
544 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 08
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
541 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 09
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
529 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 10
Parking brake inoperative on one side
517 occurrences · 3.3% 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 3 failures
£200–£570
If every one of this Primastar'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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Buying or keeping a Primastar?
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 Primastar 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.