MOT cost .

Smart (mcc)

Cabriolet

1,107 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Cabriolets pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 7.1 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

68.7%

Pass-after-fix

6.6%

Fail

23.4%

Avg miles

67,089

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Cabriolet: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 1,107 MOT tests, the Cabriolet returns 68.7% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is headlamp aim out of spec. A broken or weak spring and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 67,089, 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.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    55 occurrences · 5.0% of tests

  2. 02

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    42 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  3. 03

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    36 occurrences · 3.3% of tests

  4. 04

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    34 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  5. 05

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

    34 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  6. 06

    Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer

    30 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  7. 07

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    27 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  8. 08

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    27 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  9. 09

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

    26 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  10. 10

    Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

    25 occurrences · 2.3% 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 5 failures

£128–£480

If every one of this Cabriolet'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.

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

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

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

Item 03 · 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

Buying or keeping a Cabriolet?

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 Cabriolet 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.