Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 127,193 tests

Pass rate climbs 14.8 points across the cohorts — newer Master examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 111,087

Pass

67.2%

Fail

26.4%

PRS

5.4%

Avg mileage at test

132,854 mi

2018–2020 cohort 14,355

Pass

73.8%

Fail

18.5%

PRS

6.8%

Avg mileage at test

107,286 mi

2021+ cohort 1,751

Pass

82.0%

Fail

12.4%

PRS

4.7%

Avg mileage at test

38,979 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 4

Renault Master · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Renault Master: challenging MOT record across 86,765 tests

The Renault Master is a large van produced by the French manufacturer Renault since 1980, now in its fourth generation. It replaced the earlier Renault Super Goélette light trucks.

MOT data from 86,765 tests puts this van on a 68.0% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 124,663 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by failed number plate light.

The Master'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 van trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 28–38

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →

28–38

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

7,506 occurrences · 5.9% of tests
02

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

7,333 occurrences · 5.8% of tests
03

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

6,749 occurrences · 5.3% of tests
04

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

4,783 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
05

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

4,319 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
06

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

3,130 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
07

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

3,072 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
08

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

2,939 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
09

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

2,577 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
10

Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

2,497 occurrences · 2.0% 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.

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 14.8-point gap between bands means the year you buy Renault Master has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

82.0%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 82.0% — a 14.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 38,979 miles — roughly 94K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, does not clear the windscreen effectively — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

67.2%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 67.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 82.0% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and efficiency below requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 132,854 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (82.0% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (67.2% pass). That's a 14.8-point spread across 111,087 older tests and 1,751 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Hycote

Hycote Renault Black Pearlescent Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Renault Tungsten Metallic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Renault Glacier White Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

Hycote

Hycote Renault Platinum Metallic Double Acrylic Spray Paint 150ml

£6.59

View at My Motor World →

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.

Get a quote →

Recall history

19 UK recalls on record.

The Master has 19 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Master?

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 Master 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.