Proton Savvy: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Proton Savvy fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 21.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 569 individual Proton Savvy tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 55.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 45 in every 100 Proton Savvies presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Proton Savvy tested had covered 53,701 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Proton Savvy sits 21.2 points below the national average, ranked 1,994 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Proton Savvy rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Proton Savvies at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Proton Savvy

1. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 8.6% of tests (8.32x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 4% of tests (7.75x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 3.9% of tests (7.59x the national rate for this defect)
4. Warning device shows system malfunction, 3% of tests (7.23x the national rate for this defect)
5. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 16.9% of tests (7.19x the national rate for this defect)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 6.2% of tests (5.76x the national rate for this defect)
7. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 5.3% of tests (5.59x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 6.2% of tests (4.73x the national rate for this defect)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.8% of tests (4.7x the national rate for this defect)
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 7% of tests (3.7x the national rate for this defect)

From 568 DVSA-tracked Proton Savvy tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.16% of these flagged Proton Savvy defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Proton Savvy

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Proton Savvy before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 15.8% of tests (24.42x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning, 5.5% of tests (22.6x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 16.7% of tests (8.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 28.3% of tests (6x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 22.4% of tests (3.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 4.2% of tests (3.4x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 16.2% of tests (3.13x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.5% of tests (2.77x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 7% of tests (2.47x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this advisory)

From 568 DVSA-tracked Proton Savvy tests, 2024.

Other Proton models

• Proton Gen-2 - 57.5%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Renault Espace - 56.2%
• Kia Cerato - 55.8%
• Ford Freda - 55.5%
• Fiat Multipla - 55.4%
• Citroen C15 - 55.2%
• Peugeot 807 - 54.8%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate