Is the Renault Grand Scenic reliable?

On MOT evidence the Renault Grand Scenic is well below average. It passes 59.4% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 253 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Renault Grand Scenic?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 29.0% of failed Renault Grand Scenic 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 Renault Grand Scenic?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 33.8% of all Renault Grand Scenic tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Renault Grand Scenic usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 98,043 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 Renault Grand Scenic get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 76.6% of Renault Grand Scenic tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 48.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Renault Grand Scenic models petrol or diesel?

Of the Renault Grand Scenic cars tested, 76% are diesel, 24% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Renault Grand Scenic MOT pass rate & common failures

From 18,893 recorded MOT tests of the Renault Grand Scenic, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Renault Grand Scenic passes 59.4% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well below average, ranking it 253 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 18,893 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 29.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 98,043 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

59.4%national average72.3%unadjusted54.0%range covered88%rank253 of 262

The Grand Scenic is 12.9 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well below average. The unadjusted figure is 54.0%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened29.0%
2,103 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning17.9%
1,300 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
3.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play17.2%
1,251 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
4.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning13.6%
987 occurrencesLamp not working explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.2%
960 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.2%
811 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.8%
783 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.3%
748 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.1%
585 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
10.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.6%
478 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements33.8%
6,388 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured23.7%
4,485 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm14.9%
2,816 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged11.2%
2,118 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.4%
1,966 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.3%
1,571 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.3%
1,569 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.Play in steering rack inner joint(s)6.8%
1,278 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs77%

6–8 yrs67%

9–11 yrs59%

12–14 yrs50%

15+ yrs48%

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

What gets tested

The Grand Scenic fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 98,043
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel76.0%
Petrol23.7%

Trim names grouped into this model (7)

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

GRAND SCENIC D-QUE T-T LUXE DCI SA
GRAND SCENIC D-QUE T-T LUXE DCIS/S
GRAND SCENIC D-QUE TT BOSE DCI S/S
GRAND SCENIC D-QUE TT ENERGY DCISS
GRAND SCENIC DYNAMIQUE
GRAND SCENIC ICONIC BLUE DCI A
GRAND SCENIC PLAY BLUE DCI A

Check a specific Renault Grand Scenic

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

Compare within the range

Other Renault models

Renault Clio — 59.1% adjusted
Renault Captur — 70.8% adjusted
Renault Trafic — 62.9% adjusted
Renault Megane — 63.3% adjusted
Renault Kadjar — 74.0% adjusted
Renault Kangoo — 59.0% adjusted
All Renault models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Toyota Estima — 80.3% adjusted, ranked 51
Lexus RX — 88.2% adjusted, ranked 8
Abarth 595 — 76.0% adjusted, ranked 95
Citroen C5 — 69.6% adjusted, ranked 175

Common questions

Is the Renault Grand Scenic reliable?: On MOT evidence the Renault Grand Scenic is well below average. It passes 59.4% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 253 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Renault Grand Scenic?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 29.0% of failed Renault Grand Scenic 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 Renault Grand Scenic?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 33.8% of all Renault Grand Scenic tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Renault Grand Scenic usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 98,043 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 Renault Grand Scenic get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 76.6% of Renault Grand Scenic tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 48.3%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Renault Grand Scenic models petrol or diesel?: Of the Renault Grand Scenic cars tested, 76% are diesel, 24% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.