Rover 214: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Rover 214 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 8.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 626 individual Rover 214 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 67.9% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -8.8 points |
| Tests analysed | 626 |
| Average mileage at test | 72,995 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 1995 |
| Reliability rank | 1,810 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 67.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 32 in every 100 Rover 214s 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 Rover 214 tested had covered 72,995 miles and was built around 1995.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Rover 214 bought as a 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 Rover 214 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 what damaged Rover 214s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Rover 214
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 6% of tests (20.58x the national rate for this defect)
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 4.1% of tests (18.44x the national rate for this defect)
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 3.3% of tests (14.48x the national rate for this defect)
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.8% of tests (10.8x the national rate for this defect)
- Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.3% of tests (9.17x the national rate for this defect)
- 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, 6.9% of tests (8.27x the national rate for this defect)
- 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., 2.9% of tests (7.23x the national rate for this defect)
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 2.1% of tests (5.29x the national rate for this defect)
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4% of tests (3.56x the national rate for this defect)
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.4% of tests (3.19x the national rate for this defect)
From 1,530 DVSA-tracked Rover 214 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.32% of these flagged Rover 214 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
Other Rover models
- Rover MINI - 73.7%
- Rover 75 - 62.6%
- Rover 25 - 69.2%
- Rover 45 - 62.1%
- Rover 216 - 70.7%
- Rover Metro - 70.4%
Models with a similar pass rate
- Vauxhall Omega - 68%
- Isuzu D-Max Utah D/C Intercooler Td - 68%
- Hyundai Iload - 67.9%
- Iveco Daily - 67.8%
- Vauxhall Agila - 67.7%
- Volvo 240 - 67.7%
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
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