TVR Cerbera MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

TVR Cerbera MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The TVR Cerbera passed on its first attempt in 87.2%, and its overall record sits +7.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the TVR Cerbera in the 2023–2025 data: 411 tests across 4 model years (2000–2003). 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 TVR Cerbera MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the TVR Cerbera, the Noise, emissions and leaks 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 TVR Cerbera's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded TVR Cerbera DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the TVR Cerbera, each with how many of the model's 411 tests it was noted on.

• "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 13 TVR Cerbera tests, 3.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 10 TVR Cerbera tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Washers not working" (Major) — noted on about 10 TVR Cerbera tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 10 TVR Cerbera tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 9 TVR Cerbera tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 8 TVR Cerbera tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst TVR Cerbera Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest TVR Cerbera model year on record is 2003 (96.0% across 50 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (85.8%). The gap between them is 10.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

TVR Cerbera reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.3 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 TVR Cerbera Owners

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

• the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

• the wipers and washers — “washers not working”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

• the steering — “steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated,”

  With the wheels straight, rock the steering wheel gently with the engine off — more than about an inch of free play before the wheels move is worth investigating. Split rack gaiters are cheap to replace and commonly recorded.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: TVR Cerbera MOT & Reliability