The picture
Grand Espace: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 2,620 MOT tests, the Grand Espace returns 64.7% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a worn steering ball joint. A broken or weak spring and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 119,894, 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
199 occurrences · 7.6% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
186 occurrences · 7.1% of tests
- 03
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
170 occurrences · 6.5% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
151 occurrences · 5.8% of tests
- 05
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
116 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
- 06
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
105 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 07
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
100 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 08
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
88 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
- 09
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
83 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
- 10
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
82 occurrences · 3.1% 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
£248–£755
If every one of this Grand Espace'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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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.
Buying or keeping a Grand Espace?
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 Grand Espace 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.