Renault Trafic MOT failure rate and common faults
101,933 Renault Trafic vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 40.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 27.4% of the time, which makes the Renault Trafic 48% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
40.5%
failed first time
101,933 MOT tests in 2025
+48%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 27.4%
18 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
139.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 102.1
What fails on a Renault Trafic MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Renault Trafic MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 113.1 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 66.3 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 49.6 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 48.7 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 47.7 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 40.0 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 36.0 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 35.5 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 34.2 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 32.2 |
Renault Trafic MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,916 | 22.7% | 11.4% | 46,200 |
| 2021 | 6,427 | 23.0% | 12.8% | 59,800 |
| 2020 | 4,417 | 23.2% | 14.1% | 69,500 |
| 2019 | 7,920 | 30.3% | 16.5% | 79,200 |
| 2018 | 7,060 | 34.8% | 19.1% | 92,000 |
| 2017 | 8,812 | 38.4% | 21.8% | 101,600 |
| 2016 | 11,875 | 39.2% | 25.1% | 108,500 |
| 2015 | 10,223 | 42.7% | 28.1% | 115,800 |
| 2014 | 6,429 | 47.3% | 31.4% | 126,100 |
| 2013 | 4,113 | 50.1% | 34.3% | 138,300 |
| 2012 | 4,223 | 50.6% | 36.6% | 144,900 |
| 2011 | 5,643 | 54.6% | 38.8% | 146,100 |
| 2010 | 4,615 | 52.0% | 40.7% | 152,200 |
| 2009 | 2,626 | 52.3% | 41.8% | 152,700 |
| 2008 | 3,511 | 48.8% | 42.9% | 153,900 |
| 2007 | 3,595 | 51.0% | 42.7% | 156,700 |
| 2006 | 3,162 | 52.2% | 43.0% | 154,800 |
| 2005 | 2,366 | 49.4% | 42.4% | 156,100 |
Advisories to look for in a Renault Trafic's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Renault Trafic, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge235.5
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened173.3
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material123.4
- Brake pads: wearing thin118.8
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive82.4
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil77.0
Checking a used Renault Trafic before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Renault Trafic fails more often than average on suspension, lights and electrics and brakes. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Renault Trafic MOT questions
What is the Renault Trafic MOT failure rate?
40.5% of Renault Trafic vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 101,933 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 27.4% of the time, so the Renault Trafic was 48% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Renault Trafic MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 316 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play", recorded 113.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Renault Trafic year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2008 registrations did best: 48.8% failed against an average of 42.9% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Renault Trafic will pass?
No. These are averages across every Renault Trafic tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Renault models
- Renault Clio42.9% failed
- Renault Captur24.0% failed
- Renault Megane44.7% failed
- Renault Kadjar26.4% failed
- Renault Kangoo45.2% failed
- Renault Scenic44.0% failed
Ranked close to the Renault Trafic
- Peugeot Partnerrank 16
- Vauxhall Comborank 17
- Vauxhall Vivarorank 19
- Citroen Berlingorank 20
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Renault Trafic vans of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.