Reliant
Robin
1,605 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Robins pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.2 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
68.3%
Pass-after-fix
6.4%
Fail
23.5%
Avg miles
52,600
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 .
The picture
Robin: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 759 MOT tests, the Robin returns 70.1% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a lamp out. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing and a stop-lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 51,984, 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.
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
- 01
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
76 occurrences · 4.7% of tests
- 02
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
74 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
- 03
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
66 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 04
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
64 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 05
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
41 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 06
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
39 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 07
Indicator or hazard warning switch does not operate in accordance with the requirements
39 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 08
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
37 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
- 09
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
33 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 10
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
29 occurrences · 1.8% 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
£18–£115
If every one of this Robin'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 →
Try the calculator
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
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
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
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.
Buying or keeping a Robin?
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 Robin 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.