Rover Cityrover MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Rover Cityrover MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Rover Cityrover passed on its first attempt in 59.3%, and its overall record sits −13.4 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Rover Cityrover in the 2023–2025 data: 333 tests across 3 model years (2004–2006). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

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

Most Common Rover Cityrover MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

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

Top Recorded Rover Cityrover DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Rover Cityrover, each with how many of the model's 333 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 17 Rover Cityrover tests, 5.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 16 Rover Cityrover tests, 4.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Service brake performance excessively binding" (Major) — noted on about 10 Rover Cityrover tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 9 Rover Cityrover tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Exhaust system system insecure" (Major) — noted on about 8 Rover Cityrover tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated" (Major) — noted on about 7 Rover Cityrover tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Rover Cityrover Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Rover Cityrover model year on record is 2004 (68.9% across 196 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (64.3%). The gap between them is 4.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Rover Cityrover reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Rover Cityrover Owners

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

• the suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”

  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.

• 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Rover Cityrover MOT & Reliability