Renault
41,612 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Grand Scenics pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.2 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
65.3%
Pass-after-fix
5.6%
Fail
28.3%
Avg miles
97,432
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 41,606 tests
Pass rate climbs 14.0 points across the cohorts — newer Grand Scenic examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
64.5%
Fail
29.1%
PRS
5.7%
Avg mileage at test
100,966 mi
Pass
78.4%
Fail
17.0%
PRS
4.2%
Avg mileage at test
41,875 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 4
Renault Grand Scenic · UK market
1998–2003
2003–2009
2009–2016
2016–2023
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Renault Grand Scenic is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 33,255 tests puts this car on a 65.4% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 93,182 miles. The most common fail item is fractured or weakened suspension spring, followed by failed number plate light.
Buy a Grand Scenic in 2020 and you’ll enjoy a degree of exclusivity and styling that will turn more heads than the majority of seven-seat SUVs. Just because not enough people bought one, doesn’t mean you should ignore the Grand Scenic.
The Grand Scenic's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.
ABI Insurance Group
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
15–23
out of 50
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A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
2,397 occurrences · 5.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
2,218 occurrences · 5.3% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
2,064 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,569 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,550 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,350 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
1,292 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,160 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,122 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,030 occurrences · 2.5% 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
£176–£550
If every one of this Grand Scenic'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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 14.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Renault Grand Scenic has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
78.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 78.4% — a 14.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 41,875 miles — roughly 59K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
64.5%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 64.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 78.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and ball joint has excessive play. Average mileage on test for this band is 100,966 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (78.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (64.5% pass). That's a 14.0-point spread across 39,148 older tests and 2,458 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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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 Scenic 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.
