Renault Espace MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

68.5% Below average

5,348 tests across 13 model years, 2000–2012.

−12.5 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Renault Espace really fares

68.5% of its MOTs pass — over 5,348 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

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

The Renault Espace MOT pass rate is 68.5%, −12.5 percentage points below the UK average. That is 5,348 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2012. This page lists the most common Renault Espace MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

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MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Renault Espace MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

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Renault Espace MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Renault Espace passed on its first attempt in 57.6%, and its overall record sits −12.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Renault Espace in the 2023–2025 data: 5,348 tests across 13 model years (2000–2012). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed5,348
Overall pass rate68.5%
Passed on first attempt57.6%
Average mileage at test115,457 mi
Model years covered2000–2012 (13 years)
Versus UK national average−12.5 pts below

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

Most Common Renault Espace MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Renault Espace, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 29% 754
Suspension 23% 604
Body, chassis, structure 18% 471
Steering 12% 319
Visibility 9% 231
Brakes 7% 188
Noise, emissions and leaks 1% 17
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 0% 10

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

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 29% of the recorded Renault Espace failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (6.4%), "Position lamp not working" (2.5%), "Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier" (2.4%) among the Renault Espace's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 23% of the recorded Renault Espace failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint excessively worn" (5.5%), "Coil spring fractured or broken" (4.5%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (0.7%) among the Renault Espace's suspension faults.

Body, chassis, structure

Around 18% of the recorded Renault Espace failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (4.8%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (3.7%), "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (0.2%) among the Renault Espace's body, chassis, structure faults.

Top Recorded Renault Espace DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Renault Espace, each with how many of the model's 5,348 tests it was noted on.

  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 343 Renault Espace tests, 6.4% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 298 Renault Espace tests, 5.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 293 Renault Espace tests, 5.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 259 Renault Espace tests, 4.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 242 Renault Espace tests, 4.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 205 Renault Espace tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Renault Espace Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Renault Espace model year on record is 2000 (75.0% across 72 tests), and the weakest is 2011 (66.0%). The gap between them is 9.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2012 Espace 81 70.4% 60.0% 113,765 mi Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no
2011 Espace 368 66.0% 52.7% 118,365 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2010 Espace 463 68.3% 56.3% 117,135 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2009 Espace 527 68.1% 56.7% 121,555 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2008 Espace 833 67.9% 56.3% 130,256 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2007 Espace 1,290 66.7% 54.6% 129,155 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2006 Espace 527 69.6% 59.5% 121,452 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2005 Espace 389 71.5% 63.2% 112,636 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2004 Espace 308 71.1% 61.6% 105,467 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2003 Espace 164 72.6% 64.3% 94,243 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2002 Espace 247 68.8% 57.7% 108,001 mi Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents t
2001 Espace 79 72.2% 68.7% 108,010 mi Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from ca
2000 Espace 72 75.0% 70.0% 120,902 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 Renault Espace Owners

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

  • the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

    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.

  • the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint has excessive play”

    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 coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

    Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Renault Espace MOT & Reliability

What is the Renault Espace MOT pass rate?

68.5% of the 5,348 recorded Renault Espace MOT tests ended in a pass, −12.5 percentage points below the national average. 57.6% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Renault Espace model years pass the MOT most often?

2000 is the strongest Renault Espace year on record at 75.0%, while 2011 is the weakest at 66.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Renault Espace MOT failures?

The most recorded Renault Espace failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" — together around 12% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.