Rover Metro: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Rover Metro fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 6.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 668 individual Rover Metro tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 70.4% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -6.3 points |
| Tests analysed | 668 |
| Average mileage at test | 48,533 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 1992 |
| Reliability rank | 1,750 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 70.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 30 in every 100 Rover Metros 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 Metro tested had covered 48,533 miles and was built around 1992.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Rover Metro 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 Metro 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 Metros actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Rover Metro
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 7.4% of tests (25.43x the national rate for this defect)
- Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.8% of tests (16.79x 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, 3.5% of tests (15.38x the national rate for this defect)
- Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.9% of tests (10.7x 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., 4.1% of tests (10.36x 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, 8.5% of tests (10.21x the national rate for this defect)
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 1.8% of tests (4.55x the national rate for this defect)
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.1% of tests (4.13x the national rate for this defect)
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.1% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this defect)
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.3% of tests (1.83x the national rate for this defect)
From 1,723 DVSA-tracked Rover Metro tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.84% of these flagged Rover Metro 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 214 - 67.9%
Models with a similar pass rate
- Toyota Hiace - 70.4%
- Toyota Landcruiser - 70.4%
- MG Zt - 70.4%
- Peugeot Expert - 70.2%
- Saab 9-5 - 70.2%
- Peugeot Independence - 70.2%
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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