Renault Megane Comes Bottom Of MOT Performance Chart

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Thu, 14 Jan 2010

Renault Meganes failed their first MOT tests more than any other popular car in 2007, according to new data released by the Vehicle and Operating Services Agency (VOSA).

The VOSA figures show that nearly a third (28.1 per cent) of all ’53, ’04 and ’54-plated Meganes which underwent their first MOT test in 2007 failed.

Second place on the MOT failure chart went to both the Peugeot 307 and the Vauxhall Corsa, which both had a 24.7 per cent failure rate in 2007, followed by the Renault Scenic with a 23 per cent failure rate.

In contrast, the Toyota Corolla was the most reliable with the lowest failure rate (11.2 per cent), followed by the Honda Jazz (13.3 per cent) and the Honda Civic (14.1 per cent).

The MoT information was published following a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by the BBC. However, the data only includes cars that underwent at least 20,000 tests in 2007 and does not provide mileage figures for any of the cars .

James Ruppert, used car expert at Autocar, said: "This is an interesting report because it confirms the stereotypical views about French cars being problematic and Japanese ones being reliable."

"Unfortunately, it makes no allowance for mileage or usage: a fleet-owned Renault Megane that does 25,000 miles a year will have a much harder life than a Honda Jazz that’s used on the school run," he added.

" Fleet cars like Meganes and 307s are also more likely to be neglected by their owners than more expensive, privately owned cars ."

MOT tests are carried out every year on cars every year that are at least three years old. They are designed to test a range of features to determine how road worthy the vehicle is.