Morgan Roadster
From 943 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, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led and 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.. The top issue, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, caused 20 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. 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 | 20 |
| a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led | 12 |
| 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. | 6 |
| significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 5 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 5 |
| an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 4 |
| audible warning inoperative | 4 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 4 |
| a tyre valve seriously damaged or misaligned likely to cause sudden deflation of the tyre | 4 |
| headlamp aim unable to be tested | 3 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. Only 16.4% of Roadster 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 £64.
Morgan Roadster on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 8 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 4 newly registered, a net loss of 4.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 478 | 162 | +1 | -0 | +1 |
| 2025 Q2 | 487 | 152 | +1 | -0 | +6 |
| 2025 Q1 | 377 | 256 | +0 | -0 | +4 |
| 2024 Q4 | 365 | 264 | +2 | -8 | -6 |
| 2024 Q3 | 495 | 140 | +0 | -0 | +13 |
| 2024 Q2 | 515 | 107 | +0 | -0 | +42 |
| 2024 Q1 | 439 | 141 | +0 | -49 | -49 |
| 2023 Q4 | 390 | 239 | +0 | -0 | +0 |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 83% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
Typical mileage
Half of all Roadsters tested had between 8,441 and 29,248 miles on the clock. Relatively low mileage overall. Many are still fairly young.
At 14,372 median miles, the Roadster has 0.071 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Morgan models
| Morgan 4/4 | 87.6% |
| Morgan Plus 4 | 90.5% |
| Morgan Plus 8 | 89.3% |
Common questions
What is the Morgan Roadster MOT pass rate?
The Morgan Roadster has a 89.8% MOT pass rate based on 943 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Morgan Roadster?
The most common MOT failure on the Morgan Roadster is steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which caused 20 failures. Other common issues include a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led.
How many Morgan Roadsters are on UK roads?
There are 478 Morgan Roadsters currently licensed on UK roads, with 162 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Morgan Roadster at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Morgan Roadster is 14,372 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 8,441 and 29,248 miles.
Buying a used Roadster?
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.