14.0%
Fluid leak
The vehicle is leaking a fluid — oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic. A slight seep is common on older cars; a continuous drip is both a road hazard and a sign of something failing.
MOT wording: Oil leak, but not excessive
TVRUsed-car reliability
How reliable is a used TVR?
Here's how a used TVR holds up at the MOT, model by model.
What actually goes wrong
What breaks on TVR cars
The most common MOT faults across the TVR range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on TVR cars that recorded that defect.
3.0%
Brake disc or drum
A brake disc or drum is excessively worn, scored, cracked, warped, or corroded. These are the rotating parts that the pads or shoes press against to slow the car.
MOT wording: Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened
3.0%
Windscreen washers
The windscreen washers aren't working — no fluid is reaching the screen, or the jets are blocked or misaligned.
MOT wording: Windscreen washer not working or not giving enough fluid
2.8%
Tyre condition
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
MOT wording: Tyre worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge
Across all TVR models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
Every TVR that ranks, in plain English
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. The UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%) is shown for reference. Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
0 models
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Not directly comparable with the figures at 7 years old
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Looking at one in particular?
Averages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.