Triumph
3,895 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Thruxtons pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.2%
Pass-after-fix
5.2%
Fail
4.5%
Avg miles
9,146
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,867 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.6 points across the cohorts — newer Thruxton examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
89.8%
Fail
5.0%
PRS
5.0%
Avg mileage at test
10,046 mi
Pass
91.4%
Fail
2.4%
PRS
5.9%
Avg mileage at test
5,148 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,842 MOT tests, the Thruxton returns 91.1% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a non-conforming number plate. A missing rear reflector and headlamp missing, inoperative round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 8,894, 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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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
28 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
17 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A headlamp missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
17 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Rate of flashing not between 60 and 120 times per minute
17 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm
14 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Reflector missing or reflecting white to the rear
12 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution
9 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
An exhaust silencer marked ‘NOT FOR ROAD USE’, ‘TRACK USE ONLY’ or similar words
8 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
7 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Projected beam image is obviously incorrect
6 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 4 failures
£165–£370
If every one of this Thruxton'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 1.6-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Triumph Thruxton makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.4% — a 1.6-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, flashing more than 120 times a minute — 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
89.8%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 89.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm, does not conform to the specified requirements, and not working on dipped beam. Average mileage on test for this band is 10,046 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (89.8% pass). That's a 1.6-point spread across 3,193 older tests and 674 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
MOT-spec replacement number plate
Faded or non-standard plates fail outright. Replacements take ten minutes online with V5C details.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · 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
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 Thruxton has 6 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 Thruxton 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.
