Rolls Royce
2,577 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Ghosts pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 18.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
96.2%
Pass-after-fix
0.8%
Fail
2.8%
Avg miles
41,196
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 · 2,577 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.5 points across the cohorts — newer Ghost examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
96.1%
Fail
2.9%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
42,519 mi
Pass
98.5%
Fail
1.4%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
17,864 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 786 MOT tests, the Ghost returns 94.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. Windscreen damage and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 36,204, 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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Windscreen or window excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view
24 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
23 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade defective
17 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
6 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
6 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
5 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
4 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Any fracture or welding defect on a wheel
4 occurrences · 0.2% 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 2 failures
£80–£140
If every one of this Ghost'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 →
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 2.5-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Rolls Royce Ghost makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
98.5%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 98.5% — a 2.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 17,864 miles — roughly 25K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: leaking, has a cut in excess of the… — 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
96.1%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 96.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 98.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: excessively tinted but not adversely affecting driver's view, has ply or cords exposed, and blade defective. Average mileage on test for this band is 42,519 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (98.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (96.1% pass). That's a 2.5-point spread across 2,439 older tests and 138 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
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 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
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 Ghost has 8 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 Ghost 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.
