How reliable is the Aston Martin Dbs compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Aston Martin Dbs, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 94.0% across 1,630 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Aston Martin Dbs?

The item recorded most often is "Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements", which appears in 15.9% of failed Aston Martin Dbs tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Aston Martin Dbs?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 16.1% of all Aston Martin Dbs tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Aston Martin Dbs usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 21,468 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Aston Martin Dbs get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 95.3% of Aston Martin Dbs tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 93.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Model reliability file

Aston Martin Dbs MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,630 recorded MOT tests of the Aston Martin Dbs, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 1,630 MOT tests, 94.0% of Aston Martin Dbs tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Aston Martin Dbs fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, which appears in 15.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 21,468 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

94.0%unadjusted, not comparable1,630 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Dbs. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 1,630 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Aston Martin Dbs tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements15.9%
13 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
2.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.2%
10 occurrencesLamp not working explained
3.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen12.2%
10 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged12.2%
10 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction8.5%
7 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
6.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.1%
5 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
7.A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.1%
5 occurrencesDirection indicator not working explained
8.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement4.9%
4 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
9.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements4.9%
4 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
10.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen4.9%
4 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Aston Martin Dbs tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A tyre seriously damaged16.1%
262 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.8%
78 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged2.0%
32 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Nail in tyre1.8%
29 tests
5.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded1.5%
24 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
6.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage1.2%
20 testsShock absorber defective explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded1.1%
18 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
8.A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded0.8%
13 testsBrake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs95%

6–8 yrs94%

12–14 yrs93%

15+ yrs93%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Dbs fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 21,468
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Check a specific Aston Martin Dbs

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Aston Martin models

Aston Martin Vantage — 93.7% unadjusted
Aston Martin DB9 — 90.1% unadjusted
Aston Martin V8 Vantage — 91.4% unadjusted
Aston Martin DB11 — 95.1% unadjusted
Aston Martin DB7 — 86.0% unadjusted
Aston Martin Vanquish — 93.7% unadjusted
All Aston Martin models

Common questions

How reliable is the Aston Martin Dbs compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Aston Martin Dbs, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 94.0% across 1,630 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Aston Martin Dbs?: The item recorded most often is "Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements", which appears in 15.9% of failed Aston Martin Dbs tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Aston Martin Dbs?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 16.1% of all Aston Martin Dbs tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Aston Martin Dbs usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 21,468 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Aston Martin Dbs get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 95.3% of Aston Martin Dbs tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 93.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.