Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 3,245 tests

Pass rate climbs 8.4 points across the cohorts — newer Unclassified examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 2,073

Pass

73.1%

Fail

21.0%

PRS

5.0%

Avg mileage at test

106,410 mi

2018–2020 cohort 783

Pass

80.6%

Fail

12.6%

PRS

6.4%

Avg mileage at test

69,411 mi

2021+ cohort 389

Pass

81.5%

Fail

8.7%

PRS

8.7%

Avg mileage at test

49,986 mi

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

The picture

Unclassified: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 2,004 MOT tests, the Unclassified returns 73.7% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A number-plate lamp out and a weak handbrake round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 92,914, 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.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 8–24

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 →

8–24

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

153 occurrences · 4.7% of tests
02

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

134 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
03

Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

80 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
04

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

62 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
05

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

60 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
06

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

52 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
07

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

50 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
08

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

50 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
09

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

49 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
10

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

45 occurrences · 1.4% 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.

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Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 8.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Renault Unclassified has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

81.5%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 81.5% — a 8.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 49,986 miles — roughly 56K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, not working — 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

73.1%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 73.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 81.5% 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 106,410 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (81.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (73.1% pass). That's a 8.4-point spread across 2,073 older tests and 389 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.

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My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Book a mobile mechanic

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Recall history

2 UK recalls on record.

The Unclassified has 2 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an Unclassified?

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 an Unclassified 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.