At a Glance
The Rover 400 has 23 identified common problems across 3 generations, with the 400 (1995-1999) being the most affected generation and suspension the most common problem category. Based on 988K 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 our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Rover 400 common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Rover 400 generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Rover 400 Generations
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Most Common Rover 400 MOT Failures
Every reason Rover 400 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 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 12.09% |
| 2 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 9.60% |
| 3 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 8.34% |
| 4 | Exhaust system fault | 7.84% |
| 5 | Number plate lamp not working | 5.89% |
| 6 | Brake performance below minimum | 5.65% |
| 7 | Front lamp not working | 4.86% |
| 8 | Stop lamp not working | 4.50% |
| 9 | Tyre condition | 4.43% |
| 10 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 3.55% |
| 11 | Windscreen washer not working | 3.13% |
| 12 | Suspension mounting corroded | 3.12% |
| 13 | Driveshaft fault | 3.03% |
| 14 | Brake pads or linings worn | 2.52% |
| 15 | Track rod end worn | 2.04% |
| 16 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 1.97% |
| 17 | Body corrosion or damage | 1.62% |
| 18 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.41% |
| 19 | Fog lamp not working | 1.18% |
| 20 | Rear lamp not working | 1.04% |
| 21 | Parking brake condition | 1.03% |
| 22 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.87% |
| 23 | Headlamp aim defect | 0.81% |
| 24 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.73% |
| 25 | Indicator fault | 0.67% |
| 26 | Steering rack fault | 0.62% |
| 27 | ABS fault | 0.53% |
| 28 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.48% |
| 29 | Chassis condition | 0.47% |
| 30 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 0.44% |
| 31 | Seat belt condition | 0.43% |
| 32 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.33% |
| 33 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.30% |
| 34 | Horn not working | 0.30% |
| 35 | Rear suspension fault | 0.29% |
| 36 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.27% |
| 37 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.24% |
| 38 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.22% |
| 39 | Position lamp not working | 0.18% |
| 40 | Brake fluid leak | 0.17% |
| 41 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.16% |
| 42 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.15% |
| 43 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.15% |
| 44 | Brake pedal fault | 0.15% |
| 45 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.14% |
| 46 | Body security fault | 0.13% |
| 47 | Front suspension fault | 0.13% |
| 48 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.12% |
| 49 | CV joint worn | 0.11% |
| 50 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.11% |
| 51 | Brake caliper fault | 0.11% |
| 52 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.08% |
| 53 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.07% |
| 54 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.06% |
| 55 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.05% |
| 56 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.05% |
| 57 | Electrical switch fault | 0.05% |
| 58 | Steering free play excessive | 0.05% |
| 59 | Headlamp fault | 0.05% |
| 60 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.05% |
| 61 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 0.04% |
| 62 | Power steering pump fault | 0.04% |
| 63 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.04% |
| 64 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 0.04% |
| 65 | Airbag warning light on | 0.04% |
| 66 | Steering operation fault | 0.04% |
| 67 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 68 | Steering arm worn | 0.03% |
| 69 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.03% |
| 70 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.03% |
| 71 | Steering lock fault | 0.02% |
| 72 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.02% |
| 73 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.02% |
| 74 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.02% |
| 75 | Steering drive system fault | 0.02% |
| 76 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.02% |
| 77 | Power steering ram fault | 0.02% |
| 78 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 79 | Ball joint dust cover split | 0.02% |
| 80 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | 0.02% |
| 81 | Drag link end worn | 0.02% |
| 82 | Steering column fault | 0.02% |
| 83 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.01% |
| 84 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.01% |
| 85 | Brake lever fault | 0.01% |
| 86 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | 0.01% |
| 87 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | 0.01% |
| 88 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | 0.01% |
| 89 | Radius arm worn or corroded | 0.01% |
| 90 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 91 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 92 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 93 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 94 | Rear fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 95 | Suspension unit fault | <0.01% |
| 96 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | <0.01% |
| 97 | Engine oil leak | <0.01% |
| 98 | Electrical wiring fault | <0.01% |
| 99 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 100 | Bumper damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 101 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 102 | Propshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 103 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 104 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 105 | Flexible brake hose damaged | <0.01% |
| 106 | Wheel bearing worn | <0.01% |
| 107 | Engine mounting worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 108 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 109 | Driver door fault | <0.01% |
| 110 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 112 | King pin or swivel pin worn | <0.01% |
| 113 | Headlamp levelling device fault | <0.01% |
| 114 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 115 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | <0.01% |
| 116 | Brake fluid warning light on | <0.01% |
| 117 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 118 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 121 | Front passenger door fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Exhaust leak | <0.01% |
| 124 | Handbrake lever fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 128 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 129 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 133 | Electronic stability control fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Driver airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 138 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 140 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 141 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 142 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 143 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 144 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 145 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 148 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 149 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 152 | Electric power steering fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 156 | Undertray damaged or missing | <0.01% |
| 157 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 161 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 162 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 163 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 165 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | <0.01% |
| 166 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 166 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Rover 400 MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Rover 400, 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 Rover 400 problems?
Based on analysis of 988K Rover 400 MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 23 identified common problems across 3 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Catalytic converter efficiency low". Suspension is the most common problem category.
Which Rover 400 generation has the most problems?
The Rover 400 400 (1995-1999) (1995–1999) has the highest number of identified common problems (36). Click the generation card above for the 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 Rover 400?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Rover 400 owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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