1997 Tvr Chimaera: MOT pass rate and reliability

90.3% of 1997 Tvr Chimaeras pass the MOT first time, measured across 391 DVSA tests on that model year alone. The average one had covered 56,948 miles.

How the 1997 compares

  • Against all Tvr Chimaeras (87.7%, 2,421 tests): +2.6 points
  • Against all 1997 cars (70.4%): +19.9 points
  • National first-time pass rate, all cars and years: 77%

Every Tvr Chimaera model year

Pass rates fall as cars age, so the only fair comparison for a 1997 car is other cars of the same age. The full run for the Tvr Chimaera:

Year Pass rate Tests Avg mileage
1995 84.3% 235 66,557
1996 88.1% 303 58,980
1997 90.3% 391 56,948
1998 89.6% 570 56,459
1999 86.9% 426 56,143

What this means if you are buying a 1997 Chimaera

The 1997 is one of the stronger years for this model, passing 2.6 points more often than the Tvr Chimaera average. That is a point in its favour, though condition and service history still matter more than the model year. Check the exact car with the free MOT history checker before you buy, and run its VIN and mileage through our free VIN decoder and clocking check.

What a 29-year-old car fails on

A 1997 car is 29 years old now, and age drives the failure mix more than the badge does. Across all cars tested, these are the categories that actually cause failures:

  • Lights and electrical: 10.36% of all cars tested
  • Suspension: 8.65% of all cars tested
  • Tyres: 6.23% of all cars tested
  • Brakes: 6.1% of all cars tested
  • Visibility: wipers, washers, glass: 4.65% of all cars tested
  • Body, chassis and structure: 3.18% of all cars tested

That is around average, so condition and service history will tell you more than the odometer does. On a 1997 Tvr Chimaera the average at test was 56,948 miles, so treat anything far above that as a car that has worked harder than its peers, and anything far below as one worth checking for the faults that come from standing still.

1997 is the strongest year on record for this model at 90.3%, ahead of every other year we hold data for.

Nearby model years

All Tvr Chimaera MOT data · Every model