Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit
From 1,703 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a tyre seriously damaged, parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value and a tyre cords visible or damaged. The top issue, a tyre seriously damaged, caused 34 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.
| a tyre seriously damaged | 34 |
| parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value | 32 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 25 |
| actuator leaking and braking performance not affected | 24 |
| emissions levels exceed default limits | 23 |
| parking brake inoperative on one side | 20 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 20 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 18 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 15 |
| fuel system leaking excessively or a risk of fire | 14 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 23.1% of Silver Spirit failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 34.2% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £111.
Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 11 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 11. At this rate, roughly 38.8 years until none remain. Now at 81.8% of its peak (379 in 1997 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 170 | 140 | +0 | -0 | +0 |
| 2025 Q2 | 170 | 140 | +0 | -0 | +4 |
| 2025 Q1 | 154 | 152 | +0 | -4 | -4 |
| 2024 Q4 | 152 | 158 | +0 | -7 | -7 |
| 2024 Q3 | 166 | 151 | +0 | -0 | +4 |
| 2024 Q2 | 166 | 147 | +0 | -3 | -3 |
| 2024 Q1 | 165 | 151 | +0 | -2 | -2 |
| 2023 Q4 | 166 | 152 | +0 | -0 | +1 |
2 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Spirit Iii | Petrol | 103 | 61% |
| Silver Spirit Ii Auto | Petrol | 67 | 39% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 93.4% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 1990 | 81.9% | parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 1989 | 85.2% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1988 | 96.6% | a tyre seriously damaged, parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement |
3 earlier years
| 1987 | 69.9% | a tyre cords visible or damaged, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 1986 | 78.9% | parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, emissions levels exceed default limits |
| 1985 | 93.1% | a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led, parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value |
Typical mileage
Half of all Silver Spirits tested had between 51,356 and 83,400 miles on the clock.
At 72,054 median miles, the Silver Spirit has 0.021 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Rolls-Royce models
| Rolls-Royce Ghost | 96.6% |
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | 97.7% |
| Rolls-Royce Dawn | 97.2% |
| Rolls-Royce Wraith | 96.9% |
Common questions
What is the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit MOT pass rate?
The Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit has a 84.9% MOT pass rate based on 1,703 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit?
The most common MOT failure on the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit is a tyre seriously damaged, which caused 34 failures. Other common issues include parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value.
How many Rolls-Royce Silver Spirits are on UK roads?
There are 170 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirits currently licensed on UK roads, with 140 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit is 72,054 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 51,356 and 83,400 miles.
Buying a used Silver Spirit?
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.
With a 84.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £111 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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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.