Renault
71,475 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Scenics pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.2 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
66.3%
Pass-after-fix
5.5%
Fail
27.7%
Avg miles
86,827
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 · 71,475 tests
Pass rate climbs 19.9 points across the cohorts — newer Scenic examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
66.0%
Fail
27.9%
PRS
5.5%
Avg mileage at test
87,527 mi
Pass
85.9%
Fail
10.2%
PRS
3.5%
Avg mileage at test
32,530 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 5
Renault Scenic · UK market
1996–2003
2003–2009
2009–2016
2016–2022
2024–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Renault 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 57,894 tests puts this car on a 66.7% first-time pass rate, well below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 83,546 miles. The most common fail item is fractured or weakened suspension spring, followed by failed number plate light.
The Renault Scenic is a good-looking people carrier that comes with plenty of safety equipment, and also offers decent fuel economy. However, the ride comfort won’t be to all tastes.
The 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 →
14–22
out of 50
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A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
4,067 occurrences · 5.7% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
3,311 occurrences · 4.6% of tests
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
3,133 occurrences · 4.4% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2,888 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2,279 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
2,150 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
2,130 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,619 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
1,572 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1,536 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 4 failures
£248–£755
If every one of this 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 19.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Renault Scenic has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
85.9%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 85.9% — a 19.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 32,530 miles — roughly 55K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has ply or cords exposed, less than 1.5 mm thick — 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
66.0%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 66.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 85.9% 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 87,527 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (85.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (66.0% pass). That's a 19.9-point spread across 70,573 older tests and 902 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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Owner reports · Honest John
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
The Renault Scenic is a good-looking people carrier that comes with plenty of safety equipment, and also offers decent fuel economy. However, the ride comfort won’t be to all tastes.
Recall history
The Scenic has 17 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.
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 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.
