Renault Trafic Reliability: MOT Pass Rate by Year & Engine

Verdict

The Renault Trafic passes its MOT first time on 57.6% of tests, 9.6 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (67.2%). That puts it ahead of 11% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.

By year of first registration, the 2005 Trafic does best (beats 33% of cars) and the 2017 worst (beats 3%).

Of its engines, the 1.9 Diesel does best (beats 30%) and the 1.6 Diesel worst (beats 5%).

Better than average on tyres.

Watch these weak spots

Lights & electrics1.3×as often as a typical car

Suspension1.8×as often as a typical car

Track rod ends5.6×as often as a typical car

Suspension ball joints2.9×as often as a typical car

MOT pass rate by age

First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.

Renault TraficTypical car, same age & mileage

Best and worst years

By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.

Beats 35%

Beats 32%

Beats 30%

Beats 33%

Beats 26%

Beats 24%

Beats 26%

Beats 18%

Beats 12%

Beats 5%

Beats 6%

Beats 5%

Beats 4%

Beats 6%

Beats 6%

Beats 3%

Beats 4%

Beats 4%

Beats 10%

Beats 5%

Beats 5%

Beats 3%

Engines

All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

Engine	Years	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	2006–2023	402,623	52.7%	Beats 10%	E
1.6 Diesel	2014–2019	369,651	66.8%	Beats 5%	E
1.9 Diesel	2002–2007	120,245	46.1%	Beats 30%	D
2.5 Diesel	2004–2011	8,958	50.5%	Beats 32%	D

Where it fails

Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.

Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical

Suspension: 19.0% of tests fail on suspension, against 10.7% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Lights & electrics

19.1% vs 14.3%

Suspension

19.0% vs 10.7%

Brakes

13.6% vs 8.5%

Steering

10.4% vs 2.4%

Visibility

7.6% vs 5.3%

Tyres

6.0% vs 7.5%

Body & structure

4.7% vs 4.1%

Emissions & leaks

4.4% vs 3.9%

Seat belts & airbags

2.1% vs 1.4%

Wheels

0.3% vs 0.5%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Track rod ends 5.6× typical
Feel for play or knocking in the steering and check for wear on the inner edges of the front tyres.
Suspension ball joints 2.9× typical
Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering.
Handbrake performance 2.6× typical
Check the handbrake holds the car firmly on a slope.
Anti-roll bar links 3.6× typical
A knock or rattle over uneven roads usually means worn anti-roll bar links (cheap to fix).
Number plate lights 2.0× typical
Walk around with the lights on: bulb failures are the easiest MOT fails to avoid.
Shock absorbers 2.2× typical
Push down hard on each corner: it should rebound once and settle. Look for oily dampers.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

Renault TraficTypical car

Most common MOT failures

Item	This car	Typical	vs typical
Track rod ends	9.5%	1.7%	5.6×
Sidelights	5.6%	3.6%	1.5×
Suspension ball joints	5.4%	1.8%	2.9×
Handbrake performance	5.0%	1.9%	2.6×
Brake lights	4.4%	2.6%	1.7×
Number plate lights	4.2%	2.1%	2.0×
Windscreen washers	3.8%	2.5%	1.5×
Brake pads	3.6%	2.6%	1.4×
Headlight aim	3.5%	4.0%	0.9×
Coil springs	3.5%	2.5%	1.4×

Specific defects found

Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.

Defect	per 1,000
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn	107.3
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play	87.1
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	47.0
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	39.0
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen	37.7
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	37.4
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	35.3
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened	35.1

Check another car

Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.

Every year and engine

Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

2023 Renault Trafic1 engine75.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	3,040	75.2%	Beats 3%	E

2022 Renault Trafic1 engine77.0% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	7,860	77.0%	Beats 5%	E

2021 Renault Trafic1 engine76.3% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	15,795	76.3%	Beats 5%	E

2020 Renault Trafic1 engine77.0% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	15,754	77.0%	Beats 10%	E

2019 Renault Trafic2 engines71.8% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.6 Diesel	38,110	70.8%	Beats 3%	E
2.0 Diesel	6,190	77.4%	Beats 18%	E

2018 Renault Trafic1 engine69.4% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.6 Diesel	46,431	69.4%	Beats 4%	E

2017 Renault Trafic1 engine66.9% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.6 Diesel	69,038	66.9%	Beats 3%	E

2016 Renault Trafic1 engine67.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.6 Diesel	100,875	67.2%	Beats 6%	E

2015 Renault Trafic1 engine64.3% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.6 Diesel	97,060	64.3%	Beats 6%	E

2014 Renault Trafic2 engines57.5% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	46,435	55.3%	Beats 3%	E
1.6 Diesel	18,137	63.2%	Beats 10%	E

2013 Renault Trafic1 engine53.5% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	41,329	53.5%	Beats 5%	E

2012 Renault Trafic1 engine50.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	43,093	50.2%	Beats 6%	E

2011 Renault Trafic2 engines46.5% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	57,368	46.4%	Beats 5%	E
2.5 Diesel	1,152	51.1%	Beats 12%	E

2010 Renault Trafic2 engines47.4% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	48,297	47.2%	Beats 11%	E
2.5 Diesel	1,184	52.9%	Beats 26%	D

2009 Renault Trafic1 engine48.1% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	28,849	48.1%	Beats 18%	E

2008 Renault Trafic2 engines48.7% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	41,128	48.6%	Beats 26%	D
2.5 Diesel	1,025	52.0%	Beats 31%	D

2007 Renault Trafic2 engines46.9% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	43,792	46.9%	Beats 24%	D
1.9 Diesel	1,431	49.3%	Beats 31%	D

2006 Renault Trafic3 engines46.1% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.9 Diesel	36,977	46.0%	Beats 26%	D
2.0 Diesel	3,693	46.1%	Beats 24%	D
2.5 Diesel	2,416	48.6%	Beats 31%	D

2005 Renault Trafic2 engines47.2% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.9 Diesel	31,431	47.1%	Beats 32%	D
2.5 Diesel	1,797	50.1%	Beats 41%	C

2004 Renault Trafic2 engines45.2% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.9 Diesel	25,340	45.0%	Beats 29%	D
2.5 Diesel	1,384	50.4%	Beats 46%	C

2003 Renault Trafic1 engine45.4% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.9 Diesel	16,835	45.4%	Beats 32%	D

2002 Renault Trafic1 engine46.7% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.9 Diesel	8,231	46.7%	Beats 35%	D

FAQ

What is the Renault Trafic MOT pass rate?

57.6% of MOT tests on the Renault Trafic were passed first time, based on 901,477 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2002–2023. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 67.2% of the time.

Is the Renault Trafic reliable?

On MOT results it rates E (poor): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 11% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Renault Trafic year is best?

Among years with enough data, the 2005 Trafic does best for its age and mileage: it beats 33% of cars on UK roads. The 2017 does worst: it beats 3%.

Which Renault Trafic engine is best?

Across all years, the 1.9 Diesel does best: it beats 30% of cars on UK roads. The 1.6 Diesel does worst: it beats 5%.

What are the most common MOT failures on the Renault Trafic?

The most common failure items are track rod ends, sidelights, suspension ball joints. Compared with similar cars, track rod ends comes up 5.6× as often.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.

Renault Trafic reliability

Verdict

Watch these weak spots

MOT pass rate by age

Best and worst years

Engines

Where it fails

Every MOT area

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Pass rate by mileage

Most common MOT failures

Specific defects found

Every year and engine

FAQ