How reliable is the Rover 25 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Rover 25, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 62.0% across 2,453 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 Rover 25?

The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 24.8% of all Rover 25 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Rover 25 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 68,406 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.

Are most Rover 25 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Rover 25 cars tested, 94% are petrol, 6% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Rover 25 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,453 recorded MOT tests of the Rover 25, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,453 MOT tests, 62.0% of Rover 25 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Rover 25 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 transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 33.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 68,406 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

62.0%unadjusted, not comparable2,453 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the 25. 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 2,453 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Rover 25 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc33.6%
257 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired24.2%
185 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen14.1%
108 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.Exhaust system leaking or insecure9.9%
76 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
5.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.1%
62 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
6.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake7.2%
55 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
7.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.9%
53 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
8.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.8%
52 occurrencesLamp not working explained
9.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired6.4%
49 occurrencesSeat belt anchorage corroded or weakened explained
10.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 axle6.0%
46 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Rover 25 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 damaged24.8%
609 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.5%
380 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded14.0%
343 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened12.9%
316 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired12.0%
295 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
6.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users10.1%
248 tests
7.Exhaust system leaking or insecure7.4%
182 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained
8.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake5.8%
143 testsBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

What gets tested

The 25 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 68,406
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol93.6%
Diesel6.2%

Check a specific Rover 25

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

Compare within the range

Other Rover models

Rover Mini — 72.2% unadjusted
Rover 75 — 59.9% unadjusted
Rover 45 — 58.6% unadjusted
Rover 216 — 66.9% unadjusted
Rover Metro — 70.3% unadjusted
Rover 214 — 63.6% unadjusted
All Rover models

Common questions

How reliable is the Rover 25 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Rover 25, 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 62.0% across 2,453 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 Rover 25?: The item recorded most often is "A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 33.6% of failed Rover 25 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 Rover 25?: The most common advisory is "A tyre seriously damaged", noted on 24.8% of all Rover 25 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Rover 25 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 68,406 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.
Are most Rover 25 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Rover 25 cars tested, 94% are petrol, 6% are diesel. 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. 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.