How reliable is the Morgan Plus 8 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Morgan Plus 8, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 86.9% across 731 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 do testers most often warn about on a Morgan Plus 8?

The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 6.4% of all Morgan Plus 8 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Morgan Plus 8 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 34,808 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.

Model reliability file

Morgan Plus 8 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 731 recorded MOT tests of the Morgan Plus 8, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 731 MOT tests, 86.9% of Morgan Plus 8 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Morgan Plus 8 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 lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which appears in 16.3% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 34,808 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

86.9%unadjusted, not comparable731 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Plus 8. 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 731 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Morgan Plus 8 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning16.3%
13 occurrencesLamp not working explained
2.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc13.8%
11 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained
3.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement11.3%
9 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
4.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake10.0%
8 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
5.Stop lamps all missing or inoperative8.8%
7 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
6.Emissions test unable to be completed7.5%
6 occurrences
7.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.5%
6 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained
8.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer6.3%
5 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
9.Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle6.3%
5 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
10.Emissions levels exceed default limits6.3%
5 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Morgan Plus 8 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.4%
47 tests
2.A wheel bearing with excessive play3.3%
24 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
3.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake2.7%
20 testsBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users2.2%
16 tests
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements1.9%
14 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged1.6%
12 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn1.4%
10 testsBall joint worn explained
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure1.2%
9 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Morgan Plus 8

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The Plus 8 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 34,808
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol100.0%

Check a specific Morgan Plus 8

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

Compare within the range

Other Morgan models

Morgan 4/4 — 86.3% unadjusted
Morgan Plus 4 — 89.1% unadjusted
Morgan Roadster — 89.1% unadjusted
All Morgan models

Common questions

How reliable is the Morgan Plus 8 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Morgan Plus 8, 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 86.9% across 731 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 Morgan Plus 8?: The item recorded most often is "A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning", which appears in 16.3% of failed Morgan Plus 8 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 Morgan Plus 8?: The most common advisory is "Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users", noted on 6.4% of all Morgan Plus 8 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Morgan Plus 8 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 34,808 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.

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.