Porsche 911
From 108,494 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer 911s fare better: 2020 models pass at 97.5% vs 81.9% for 1984.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer and a tyre seriously damaged. The top issue, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, caused 1,235 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.
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 1,235 |
| lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 731 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 673 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 654 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 632 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 571 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 564 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 544 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 536 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 469 |
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 90.8% while LP versions pass at 77.1%, a 14 percentage point gap.
Porsche 911 on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 3,287 newly registered in the past year with 507 leaving, a net gain of 2,780. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 55,367 | 14,183 | +662 | -288 | +374 |
| 2025 Q2 | 55,492 | 13,684 | +699 | -0 | +824 |
| 2025 Q1 | 50,973 | 17,379 | +914 | -0 | +1,057 |
| 2024 Q4 | 49,526 | 17,769 | +1,012 | -219 | +793 |
| 2024 Q3 | 53,342 | 13,160 | +662 | -0 | +874 |
| 2024 Q2 | 53,363 | 12,265 | +809 | -0 | +2,154 |
| 2024 Q1 | 49,695 | 13,779 | +929 | -1,559 | -630 |
| 2023 Q4 | 48,109 | 15,995 | +1,161 | -299 | +862 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 911 Carrera S S-A | Petrol | 3,886 | 10% |
| 911 | Petrol | 2,913 | 8% |
| 911 Carrera S-A | Petrol | 2,807 | 7% |
| 911 Turbo S S-A | Petrol | 2,797 | 7% |
| 911 Carrera 2 S | Petrol | 2,736 | 7% |
| 911 Carrera 4S S-A | Petrol | 2,578 | 7% |
| 911 Carrera Gts S-A | Petrol | 2,279 | 6% |
| 911 Carrera | Diesel | 2,255 | 6% |
| 911 Carrera 2 | Petrol | 2,147 | 6% |
| 911 Carrera 4 Gts S-A | Petrol | 1,798 | 5% |
| 911 Carrera 4 | Petrol | 1,772 | 5% |
| 911 Carrera 4S | Petrol | 1,686 | 4% |
| 911 Carrera 4 S | Petrol | 1,561 | 4% |
| 911 Turbo | Gas | 1,533 | 4% |
| 911 Targa 4 Gts S-A | Petrol | 1,216 | 3% |
| 911 Turbo S-A | Petrol | 973 | 3% |
| 911 Gt3 Rs S-A | Petrol | 946 | 2% |
| 911 Carrera 2S S-A | Petrol | 927 | 2% |
| 911 Gt3 | Petrol | 884 | 2% |
| 911 Gt3 S-A | Petrol | 838 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 97.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, number plate does not conform to the specified requirements |
| 2019 | 96.7% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2018 | 95.7% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 96.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
36 earlier years
| 2016 | 96.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2015 | 96.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2014 | 95.2% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 2013 | 95.5% | a tyre seriously damaged, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2012 | 94.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2011 | 94.7% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2010 | 92.8% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2009 | 92% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2008 | 89.7% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2007 | 88.3% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer |
| 2006 | 88.9% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2005 | 87.7% | lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2004 | 86.9% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer |
| 2003 | 84.5% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2002 | 84.1% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2001 | 85.7% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded |
| 2000 | 84.1% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1999 | 84.2% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 1998 | 82.9% | brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer |
| 1997 | 89.4% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1996 | 90% | 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, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1995 | 88.4% | a suspension 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 |
| 1994 | 89.8% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1993 | 88.8% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 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 |
| 1992 | 91.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 1991 | 89.6% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, number plate does not conform to the specified requirements |
| 1990 | 90.4% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1989 | 88.8% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1988 | 88.2% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1987 | 82.8% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 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 |
| 1986 | 86% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 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 |
| 1985 | 78.7% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 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 |
| 1984 | 81.9% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 1983 | 84.2% | a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake |
| 1982 | 81.2% | 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, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1981 | 93.8% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, emissions levels exceed default limits |
Typical mileage
Half of all 911s tested had between 48,082 and 83,311 miles on the clock.
At 64,942 median miles, the 911 has 0.014 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Porsche models
| Porsche Macan | 93.6% |
| Porsche Cayenne | 89.5% |
| Porsche Boxster | 86.8% |
| Porsche Cayman | 92.1% |
| Porsche Panamera | 92.8% |
Common questions
What is the Porsche 911 MOT pass rate?
The Porsche 911 has a 90.7% MOT pass rate based on 108,494 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Porsche 911?
The most common MOT failure on the Porsche 911 is the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which caused 1,235 failures. Other common issues include lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer.
How many Porsche 911s are on UK roads?
There are 55,367 Porsche 911s currently licensed on UK roads, with 14,183 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Porsche 911 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Porsche 911 is 64,942 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 48,082 and 83,311 miles.
Buying a used 911?
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.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
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.