At a Glance
Rolls Royce has 45 identified common problems across 18 models, with the Silver Spirit being the most affected model and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 125K MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read how we identify common car problems →
Below: per-model breakdowns of Rolls Royce common problems, MOT failure rates by category, pass-rate data, and repair patterns drawn from 125K DVSA MOT tests across 20 years. Click any model to see generation-specific issues, mileage-banded fault patterns, and the most common MOT failures recorded by UK testers.
MOT Tests & Failures by Model
Top Rolls Royce models by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that model's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Rolls Royce Common Problems by Model
Select a model to see problems by generation
Showing top 9 by MOT test volume — search to find any of 18 Rolls Royce models.
Silver Shadow
Most common: Brakes
Silver Spirit
Most common: Brakes
Phantom
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Silver Spur
Most common: Brakes
Corniche
Most common: Brakes
Ghost
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Silver Cloud
Most common: Brakes
Silver Seraph
Most common: Brakes
Wraith
Most common: Tyres & Wheels
Most Common Rolls Royce MOT Failures
Every reason Rolls Royce vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number plate lamp not working | 5.78% |
| 2 | Tyre condition | 5.69% |
| 3 | Exhaust system fault | 5.61% |
| 4 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 5.19% |
| 5 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.16% |
| 6 | Brake performance below minimum | 5.12% |
| 7 | Windscreen washer not working | 4.85% |
| 8 | Stop lamp not working | 3.84% |
| 9 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 3.83% |
| 10 | Front lamp not working | 3.38% |
| 11 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 3.34% |
| 12 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 3.29% |
| 13 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.58% |
| 14 | Suspension mounting corroded | 2.32% |
| 15 | Brake pads or linings worn | 2.09% |
| 16 | Body corrosion or damage | 1.89% |
| 17 | Rear lamp not working | 1.79% |
| 18 | Front suspension joint worn | 1.69% |
| 19 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.67% |
| 20 | Track rod end worn | 1.51% |
| 21 | Indicator fault | 1.49% |
| 22 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 1.46% |
| 23 | Chassis condition | 1.28% |
| 24 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.27% |
| 25 | Position lamp not working | 1.21% |
| 26 | Fog lamp not working | 1.17% |
| 27 | Horn not working | 1.07% |
| 28 | Headlamp fault | 0.88% |
| 29 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.86% |
| 30 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.78% |
| 31 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.77% |
| 32 | Rear suspension fault | 0.69% |
| 33 | Seat belt condition | 0.66% |
| 34 | Front suspension fault | 0.62% |
| 35 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.60% |
| 36 | Steering rack fault | 0.56% |
| 37 | Parking brake condition | 0.49% |
| 38 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.47% |
| 39 | ABS fault | 0.43% |
| 40 | Brake lever fault | 0.41% |
| 41 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.41% |
| 42 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.36% |
| 43 | Brake caliper fault | 0.36% |
| 44 | Electrical switch fault | 0.36% |
| 45 | Power steering ram fault | 0.36% |
| 46 | Brake fluid leak | 0.33% |
| 47 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.31% |
| 48 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.31% |
| 49 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.30% |
| 50 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.29% |
| 51 | Driveshaft fault | 0.28% |
| 52 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.28% |
| 53 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.27% |
| 54 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.27% |
| 55 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.26% |
| 56 | Steering free play excessive | 0.26% |
| 57 | Steering lock fault | 0.25% |
| 58 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.24% |
| 59 | Steering coupling worn | 0.24% |
| 60 | Brake pedal fault | 0.23% |
| 61 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.23% |
| 62 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.22% |
| 63 | Suspension unit fault | 0.22% |
| 64 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.21% |
| 65 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.21% |
| 66 | Airbag warning light on | 0.19% |
| 67 | Drag link end worn | 0.19% |
| 68 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | 0.18% |
| 69 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.17% |
| 70 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.17% |
| 71 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.17% |
| 72 | Steering arm worn | 0.17% |
| 73 | Engine oil leak | 0.16% |
| 74 | Steering box fault | 0.16% |
| 75 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.15% |
| 76 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.14% |
| 77 | Driver seat fault | 0.13% |
| 78 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.13% |
| 79 | Hydraulic fluid leak | 0.13% |
| 80 | Dip switch fault | 0.12% |
| 81 | Steering operation fault | 0.12% |
| 82 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | 0.12% |
| 83 | Power steering pump fault | 0.11% |
| 84 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.11% |
| 85 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.10% |
| 86 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.10% |
| 87 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.08% |
| 88 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.07% |
| 89 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | 0.07% |
| 90 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.07% |
| 91 | Brake valve fault | 0.07% |
| 92 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | 0.06% |
| 93 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.06% |
| 94 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.06% |
| 95 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.05% |
| 96 | Steering column fault | 0.05% |
| 97 | Brake clevis joint worn | 0.05% |
| 98 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.05% |
| 99 | Radius arm worn or corroded | 0.05% |
| 100 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.05% |
| 101 | Body security fault | 0.05% |
| 102 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.05% |
| 103 | Steering shaft fault | 0.05% |
| 104 | Electronic parking brake fault | 0.04% |
| 105 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.04% |
| 106 | Transmission oil leak | 0.04% |
| 107 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.04% |
| 108 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.04% |
| 109 | Propshaft fault | 0.04% |
| 110 | Speedometer fault | 0.04% |
| 111 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.04% |
| 112 | Front passenger door fault | 0.04% |
| 113 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | 0.04% |
| 114 | Spare wheel fault | 0.04% |
| 115 | Brake master cylinder fault | 0.03% |
| 116 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.03% |
| 117 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | 0.03% |
| 118 | Driver airbag fault | 0.03% |
| 119 | Exhaust leak | 0.03% |
| 120 | Main beam warning light fault | 0.03% |
| 121 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.03% |
| 122 | Semaphore indicator fault | 0.03% |
| 123 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.03% |
| 124 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | 0.02% |
| 125 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 126 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.02% |
| 127 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.02% |
| 128 | Steering drive system fault | 0.02% |
| 129 | Universal joint worn | 0.02% |
| 130 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.02% |
| 131 | Headlamp washer not working | 0.02% |
| 132 | Indicator warning light fault | 0.02% |
| 133 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.01% |
| 134 | Driver door fault | 0.01% |
| 135 | Electronic braking system fault | 0.01% |
| 136 | Outline marker lamp not working | 0.01% |
| 137 | Steering damper fault | 0.01% |
| 138 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.01% |
| 139 | Torque or reaction arm worn | 0.01% |
| 140 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | 0.01% |
| 141 | Brake linkage mounting fault | 0.01% |
| 142 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 143 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 144 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 145 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 146 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 147 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 149 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 151 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Bumper damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 153 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 154 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 158 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 159 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 160 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 161 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 162 | Headlamp levelling device fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 164 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Rolls Royce MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for Rolls Royce, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Rolls Royce problems?
Based on analysis of 125K Rolls Royce MOT tests from DVSA data, Rolls Royce has 45 identified common problems across 18 models. The Rolls Royce Silver Spirit has the most recorded problems. Brakes issues are the most common category.
Which Rolls Royce model has the most problems?
By total identified common problems, the Rolls Royce Silver Spirit has the highest count with 23 problems. This is partly because it is one of the more popular Rolls Royce models on UK roads. See the models grid for a full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Rolls Royce?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Rolls Royce owners spot problems early. We review all submissions before they are published.
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