Renault
Laguna
18,540 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Lagunas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.6 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
65.9%
Pass-after-fix
5.5%
Fail
27.9%
Avg miles
119,172
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 .
The picture
Renault Laguna: challenging MOT record across 15,606 tests
The Renault Laguna 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 15,606 tests puts this car on a 64.7% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 115,803 miles. The most common fail item is fractured or weakened suspension spring, followed by failed number plate light.
Honest John owner records point to gearbox noise or CVT reliability and premature clutch wear as the recurring problems to check before buying used.
The Laguna'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
Group 18–26
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. 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 →
18–26
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,187 occurrences · 6.4% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,098 occurrences · 5.9% of tests
- 03
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
837 occurrences · 4.5% of tests
- 04
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
823 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
- 05
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
760 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 06
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
681 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
566 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 08
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
496 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
417 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 10
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
395 occurrences · 2.1% 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 3 failures
£98–£355
If every one of this Laguna'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.
Item 01 · 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
Item 02 · 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
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
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Hycote
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£6.59
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Hycote Renault Platinum Metallic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
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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.
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
Comfortable, with reasonable ride. Nicely styled interior. Four wheel steer GT has remarkable handling.
Recent owner-reported faults
- 3 Sep 2019
Report of heavy oiul consumprion of M4R 2.0 litre engine of 2008 Renault Laguna. [![Image 20: Ask a Pro: "How Long Does $1.5M Last in Retirement?"](https://images.outbrainimg.com/transform/v3/eyJpdSI6Ij
- 12 Dec 2017
Vague report of "clutch problems" with 2008 Renault Laguna.
- 20 Nov 2013
General Motors PK5, PK6, PF1, PF6 manual transmission failure common in Laguna, Vivaro, Movano, Traffic and Primastar. The 'built-in' fault, which will result in failure, irrespective of how the vehicle is driven or serviced, is that the gearboxes are assembled in such a way that the preload on the bearings is massively over-torqued, which results in bearing failure, and the total destruction of the box from as low as 20k upwards. In some cases the boxes are built up so tight that it makes turning the box over by hand virtually impossible. Once the bearings are replaced, and shimmed correctly, the box will “go on” virtually indefinitely.
Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 3 reports indexed
Recall history
12 UK recalls on record.
The Laguna has 12 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
Buying or keeping a Laguna?
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 Laguna 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.