The MOT Files

Model reliability file

Aston Martin Vantage MOT pass rate & common failures

From 5,028 recorded MOT tests of the Aston Martin Vantage, published by DVSA.

Data updated

Quick answer

Across 5,028 MOT tests, 93.7% of Aston Martin Vantage tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Aston Martin Vantage 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 windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, which appears in 13.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 25,626 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

93.7%unadjusted, not comparable5,028 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Vantage. 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 5,028 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

  1. 1.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen13.0%

    33 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

  2. 2.A tyre seriously damaged11.0%

    28 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

  3. 3.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction9.1%

    23 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

  4. 4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.3%

    21 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

  5. 5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened7.9%

    20 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained

  6. 6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements7.9%

    20 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained

  7. 7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning7.5%

    19 occurrencesLamp not working explained

  8. 8.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements7.5%

    19 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained

  9. 9.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements4.7%

    12 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained

  10. 10.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer4.3%

    11 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

  1. 1.A tyre seriously damaged12.6%

    634 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

  2. 2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements7.1%

    355 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

  3. 3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm2.7%

    137 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

  4. 4.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded2.4%

    123 testsBrake pipe corroded explained

  5. 5.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured2.1%

    107 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

  6. 6.Nail in tyre1.5%

    77 tests

  7. 7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements1.4%

    70 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

  8. 8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded1.1%

    53 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs96%
6–8 yrs94%
9–11 yrs95%
12–14 yrs92%
15+ yrs92%

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

What gets tested

The Vantage fleet

Average mileage recorded at test
25,626

Across examples of every age, so this is a description of the fleet rather than an annual figure.

Fuel mix of tested cars
Petrol100.0%
Trim names grouped into this model (4)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

  • VANTAGE V12 AUTO
  • VANTAGE V12 ROADSTER AUTO
  • VANTAGE V8
  • VANTAGE V8 ROADSTER AUTO

Check a specific Aston Martin Vantage

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

Spaces are optional

Compare within the range

Other Aston Martin models

Common questions

How reliable is the Aston Martin Vantage compared with other cars?
We do not publish a comparison for the Aston Martin Vantage, 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 93.7% across 5,028 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 Vantage?
The item recorded most often is "Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen", which appears in 13.0% of failed Aston Martin Vantage 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 Vantage?
The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 12.6% of all Aston Martin Vantage 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 Vantage usually have at its MOT?
The average odometer reading recorded at test is 25,626 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 Vantage get harder to pass as it ages?
Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 96.0% of Aston Martin Vantage tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 91.5%. 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.

Further reading

Make sense of the numbers