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

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. The Rover Metro sits 6.3 points below the national average, ranked 1,750 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 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Rover Metros at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Rover Metro

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 9.1% of tests (25.77x the national rate for this defect)
2. Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.7% of tests (17.52x the national rate for this defect)
3. 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, 3.4% of tests (12.87x the national rate for this defect)
4. 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., 5.1% of tests (9.73x the national rate for this defect)
5. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 3.7% of tests (9.04x the national rate for this defect)
6. 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, 8.2% of tests (8.71x the national rate for this defect)
7. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 2.2% of tests (4.39x the national rate for this defect)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4% of tests (3.99x the national rate for this defect)
9. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.5% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.7% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this defect)

From 669 DVSA-tracked Rover Metro tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.09% of these flagged Rover Metro defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Rover Metro

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 Rover Metro before it actually fails on it.

1. 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, 8.1% of tests (5.32x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 3.1% of tests (4.84x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.5% of tests (4.45x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 7.8% of tests (2.73x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 12.9% of tests (2.08x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 9.3% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.1% of tests (1.18x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 10.2% of tests
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 9% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.3% of tests

From 669 DVSA-tracked Rover Metro tests, 2024.

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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

Run a site about the Rover Metro? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

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Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Rover Metro's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate