Calculate my fail sheet

Isuzu Bighorn MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Check your postcode

Pass rate by postcode →

Pass rate, every year

73.5% Below average

336 tests across 4 model years, 2003–2006.

−7.5 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Isuzu Bighorn really fares

73.5% of its MOTs pass — over 336 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Isuzu Bighorn MOT pass rate is 73.5%, −7.5 percentage points below the UK average. That is 336 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2003 and 2006. This page lists the most common Isuzu Bighorn MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Isuzu Bighorn MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Isuzu Bighorn passed on its first attempt in 66.3%, and its overall record sits −7.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Isuzu Bighorn in the 2023–2025 data: 336 tests across 4 model years (2003–2006). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed336
Overall pass rate73.5%
Passed on first attempt66.3%
Average mileage at test176,385 mi
Model years covered2003–2006 (4 years)
Versus UK national average−7.5 pts below

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Isuzu Bighorn MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Isuzu Bighorn, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Inspection section Share of failures Est. recorded instances
Suspension 25% 46
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 24% 44
Visibility 21% 38
Body, chassis, structure 14% 25
Brakes 7% 13
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 6% 11
Steering 2% 4
Noise, emissions and leaks 2% 3

Shares are over the Isuzu Bighorn's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Suspension

Around 25% of the recorded Isuzu Bighorn failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (8.6%), "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (1.8%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (1.5%) among the Isuzu Bighorn's suspension faults.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 24% of the recorded Isuzu Bighorn failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Rear fog lamp not working" (6.8%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (4.2%), "Individual direction indicators not working" (0.9%) among the Isuzu Bighorn's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Visibility

Around 21% of the recorded Isuzu Bighorn failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (9.2%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (1.2%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.9%) among the Isuzu Bighorn's visibility faults.

Top Recorded Isuzu Bighorn DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Isuzu Bighorn, each with how many of the model's 336 tests it was noted on.

  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 31 Isuzu Bighorn tests, 9.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 29 Isuzu Bighorn tests, 8.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 23 Isuzu Bighorn tests, 6.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 15 Isuzu Bighorn tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 14 Isuzu Bighorn tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Prescribed areas prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced" (Major) — noted on about 11 Isuzu Bighorn tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Isuzu Bighorn Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Isuzu Bighorn model year on record is 2006 (81.2% across 69 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (66.3%). The gap between them is 14.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Isuzu Bighorn reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2006 Bighorn 69 81.2% 78.7% 153,570 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2005 Bighorn 95 66.3% 51.5% 192,157 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2004 Bighorn 88 75.0% 68.6% 180,155 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2003 Bighorn 84 73.8% 67.2% 179,659 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Isuzu Bighorn Owners

These checks follow this Isuzu Bighorn's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Isuzu Bighorn.

  • the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

    Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

  • the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

    With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

  • the lights — “rear fog lamp not working”

    Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Isuzu Bighorn. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Isuzu Bighorn MOT & Reliability

What is the Isuzu Bighorn MOT pass rate?

73.5% of the 336 recorded Isuzu Bighorn MOT tests ended in a pass, −7.5 percentage points below the national average. 66.3% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Isuzu Bighorn model years pass the MOT most often?

2006 is the strongest Isuzu Bighorn year on record at 81.2%, while 2005 is the weakest at 66.3%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Isuzu Bighorn MOT failures?

The most recorded Isuzu Bighorn failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" — together around 18% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.