Rolls Royce
1,965 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Dawns pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 19.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
97.0%
Pass-after-fix
0.0%
Fail
2.6%
Avg miles
19,463
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,905 tests
Pass rate drops 4.3 points across the cohorts — recent Dawn examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
98.3%
Fail
1.0%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
22,688 mi
Pass
94.1%
Fail
5.9%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
13,637 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,965 MOT tests, the Dawn returns 97.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-conforming number plate. A seriously damaged tyre and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 19,463, 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.
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Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
13 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
9 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
7 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Tyre obviously under inflated
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Parking brake inoperative on one side
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
2 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
2 occurrences · 0.1% 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
£155–£290
If every one of this Dawn'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 4.3-point gap between bands means the year you buy Rolls Royce Dawn has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
98.3%
Pre-2018 registration
the older band (pre-2018) climbs to 98.3% — a 4.3-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not conform to the specified requirements, inoperative on one side — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
94.1%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 94.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 98.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, does not conform to the specified requirements, and has ply or cords exposed. Average mileage on test for this band is 13,637 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: pre-2018 (98.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (94.1% pass). That's a 4.3-point spread across 643 older tests and 1,262 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Click Mechanic · affiliate
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.
Recall history
The Dawn has 1 official UK vehicle recall 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 Dawn 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.
