TVR Chimaera MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

TVR Chimaera MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The TVR Chimaera passed on its first attempt in 90.6%, and its overall record sits +10.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the TVR Chimaera in the 2023–2025 data: 752 tests across 3 model years (2000–2002). 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 Chimaera MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded TVR Chimaera DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the TVR Chimaera, each with how many of the model's 752 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 9 TVR Chimaera tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 9 TVR Chimaera tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 9 TVR Chimaera tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 5 TVR Chimaera tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 4 TVR Chimaera tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 4 TVR Chimaera tests, 0.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst TVR Chimaera Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest TVR Chimaera model year on record is 2002 (95.5% across 67 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (89.5%). The gap between them is 6.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

TVR Chimaera reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.0 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 Chimaera Owners

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

• 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 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 exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: TVR Chimaera MOT & Reliability