The picture
Savvy: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 1,037 MOT tests, the Savvy returns 63.3% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is headlamp aim out of spec. A binding brake and wipers that don't clear the screen round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 54,524, 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
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
85 occurrences · 8.2% of tests
- 02
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
66 occurrences · 6.4% of tests
- 03
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
43 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 04
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
41 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 05
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
37 occurrences · 3.6% of tests
- 06
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
36 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
- 07
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
32 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 08
Exhaust system leaking or insecure
32 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 09
A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
31 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 10
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
30 occurrences · 2.9% 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 4 failures
£80–£295
If every one of this Savvy'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
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
Buying or keeping a Savvy?
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 Savvy 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.