Morgan Plus 8
From 1,155 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements and emissions levels exceed default limits. The top issue, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 15 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 15 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 14 |
| emissions levels exceed default limits | 12 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 11 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 10 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 9 |
| 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. | 8 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 7 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 7 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 7 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. Only 29% of Plus 8 failures are serious (safety or roadside), below the 44.4% average. When this car fails its MOT, it's more likely to be lights, wipers, or emissions than something dangerous. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £85.
Morgan Plus 8 on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 11 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1 newly registered, a net loss of 10.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 651 | 256 | +1 | -0 | +6 |
| 2025 Q2 | 651 | 250 | +0 | -0 | +0 |
| 2025 Q1 | 552 | 349 | +0 | -0 | +5 |
| 2024 Q4 | 541 | 355 | +0 | -11 | -11 |
| 2024 Q3 | 639 | 268 | +1 | -0 | +8 |
| 2024 Q2 | 649 | 250 | +1 | -0 | +23 |
| 2024 Q1 | 575 | 301 | +1 | -23 | -22 |
| 2023 Q4 | 551 | 347 | +0 | -6 | -6 |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 89.4% | a stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
Typical mileage
Half of all Plus 8s tested had between 14,584 and 49,469 miles on the clock. Relatively low mileage overall. Many are still fairly young.
At 31,523 median miles, the Plus 8 has 0.034 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Morgan models
| Morgan 4/4 | 87.6% |
| Morgan Plus 4 | 90.5% |
Common questions
What is the Morgan Plus 8 MOT pass rate?
The Morgan Plus 8 has a 89.3% MOT pass rate based on 1,155 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Morgan Plus 8?
The most common MOT failure on the Morgan Plus 8 is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 15 failures. Other common issues include the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements.
How many Morgan Plus 8s are on UK roads?
There are 651 Morgan Plus 8s currently licensed on UK roads, with 256 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Morgan Plus 8 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Morgan Plus 8 is 31,523 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 14,584 and 49,469 miles.
Buying a used Plus 8?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.