Rover 216: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Rover 216 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 728 individual Rover 216 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 70.7% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -6 points |
| Tests analysed | 728 |
| Average mileage at test | 82,327 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 1995 |
| Reliability rank | 1,741 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 70.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 29 in every 100 Rover 216s 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 216 tested had covered 82,327 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 216 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 216 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 216s actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Rover 216
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.6% of tests (20.97x the national rate for this defect)
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 5.7% of tests (19.45x the national rate for this defect)
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 3.9% of tests (17.65x 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, 2.9% of tests (12.58x the national rate for this defect)
- Emissions test unable to be completed, 2.5% of tests (7.98x 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% of tests (7.17x 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% of tests (5.08x the national rate for this defect)
- Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.8% of tests (5x the national rate for this defect)
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.5% of tests (4x the national rate for this defect)
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3% of tests (3.96x the national rate for this defect)
From 1,830 DVSA-tracked Rover 216 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.61% of these flagged Rover 216 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 Metro - 70.4%
- Rover 214 - 67.9%
Models with a similar pass rate
- Mercedes-Benz Viano - 70.7%
- Mazda Rx-8 - 70.7%
- Volkswagen Motor Caravan - 70.7%
- Land Rover Freelander - 70.6%
- Hyundai I30 - 70.5%
- Citroen C3 - 70.4%
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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