Pass rate, every year
345 tests across 2 model years, 2005–2006.
+14.4 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
345 tests across 2 model years, 2005–2006.
+14.4 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2005 95.9%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2005 page →
Worst year to buy
2006 93.5%
2.4 points below the 2005 peak. See the 2006 page →
The TVR Sagaris MOT pass rate is 95.4%, +14.4 percentage points above the UK average. That is 345 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2005 and 2006. This page lists the most common TVR Sagaris MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how TVR Sagaris MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The TVR Sagaris passed on its first attempt in 95.2%, and its overall record sits +14.4 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the TVR Sagaris in the 2023–2025 data: 345 tests across 2 model years (2005–2006). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 345 |
| Overall pass rate | 95.4% |
| Passed on first attempt | 95.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 35,946 mi |
| Model years covered | 2005–2006 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +14.4 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the TVR Sagaris, 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.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 67% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12% |
| Steering | 6% |
| Visibility | 6% |
| Suspension | 6% |
| Brakes | 3% |
Shares are over the TVR Sagaris's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 67% of the recorded TVR Sagaris failures fall in the Noise, emissions and leaks section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (1.5%), "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (1.4%), "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" (1.2%) among the TVR Sagaris's noise, emissions and leaks faults.
Around 12% of the recorded TVR Sagaris failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Position lamp not working" (0.6%), "Headlamp aim too high" (0.6%) among the TVR Sagaris's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 6% of the recorded TVR Sagaris failures fall in the Steering section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt" (0.6%) among the TVR Sagaris's steering faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the TVR Sagaris, each with how many of the model's 345 tests it was noted on.
The strongest TVR Sagaris model year on record is 2005 (95.9% across 268 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (93.5%). The gap between them is 2.4 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Sagaris | 77 | 93.5% |
| 2005 Sagaris | 268 | 95.9% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this TVR Sagaris's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a TVR Sagaris.
the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at 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.
the lights — “position 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 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 Sagaris. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
95.4% of the 345 recorded TVR Sagaris MOT tests ended in a pass, +14.4 percentage points above the national average. 95.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
2005 is the strongest TVR Sagaris year on record at 95.9%, while 2006 is the weakest at 93.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded TVR Sagaris failures are "Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits" and "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Noise, emissions and leaks section.