Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 23,491 tests

Pass rate climbs 4.7 points across the cohorts — newer Tiger examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 18,712

Pass

90.8%

Fail

5.7%

PRS

3.4%

Avg mileage at test

24,427 mi

2018–2020 cohort 4,670

Pass

93.5%

Fail

3.9%

PRS

2.4%

Avg mileage at test

12,739 mi

2021+ cohort 109

Pass

95.4%

Fail

0.0%

PRS

4.6%

Avg mileage at test

8,437 mi

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

The picture

Triumph Tiger: solid MOT record across 17,847 tests

The Triumph Tiger is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 17,847 tests puts this car on an 91.0% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 20,333 miles. The most common fail item is brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.

For used buyers, the Tiger's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Brake lining or pad worn below 1.0mm

208 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
02

A shock absorber not functioning or leaking severely

142 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
03

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

115 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
04

Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution

112 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
05

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

84 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
06

Audible warning not working

55 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
07

Steering head bearings excessively stiff, notchy, or with excessive wear or play

54 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
08

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

46 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
09

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

41 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
10

A wheel bearing with excessive play

41 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

£140–£255

If every one of this Tiger'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 4.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Triumph Tiger has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

95.4%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 95.4% — a 4.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 8,437 miles — roughly 16K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

90.8%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 90.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 95.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.0 mm thick, has a serious fluid leak, and tread depth is below minimum requirements of 1.0mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 24,427 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (95.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (90.8% pass). That's a 4.7-point spread across 18,712 older tests and 109 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

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

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Denso

Denso W14E Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16EX-U Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W16FSR Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Denso

Denso W9LM-US Spark Plug (Single)

£1.09

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

Get a quote →

Recall history

12 UK recalls on record.

The Tiger has 12 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Tiger?

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 Tiger 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.