Renault Twingo Reliability: MOT Pass Rate by Year & Engine

Verdict

The Renault Twingo passes its MOT first time on 65.2% of tests, 8.0 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (73.3%). That puts it ahead of 10% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.

By year of first registration, the 2008 Twingo does best (beats 19% of cars) and the 2016 worst (beats 4%).

Of its engines, the 1.1 Petrol does best (beats 12%) and the 0.9 Petrol worst (beats 4%).

Watch these weak spots

Suspension1.7×as often as a typical car

Brakes1.4×as often as a typical car

Track rod ends4.2×as often as a typical car

Coil springs2.1×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 TwingoTypical 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 23%

Beats 19%

Beats 24%

Beats 14%

Beats 6%

Beats 6%

Beats 4%

Beats 6%

Beats 5%

Beats 4%

Beats 8%

Beats 4%

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
1.1 Petrol	2007–2014	122,506	57.8%	Beats 12%	E
1.0 Petrol	2014–2018	59,826	76.1%	Beats 5%	E
0.9 Petrol	2015–2018	27,487	77.1%	Beats 4%	E
1.6 Petrol	2009–2011	7,544	56.8%	Beats 19%	E

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: 14.1% of tests fail on suspension, against 8.2% 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).

Suspension

14.1% vs 8.2%

Lights & electrics

10.6% vs 10.2%

Brakes

7.7% vs 5.6%

Tyres

7.2% vs 5.7%

Visibility

6.5% vs 4.6%

Steering

4.9% vs 1.4%

Emissions & leaks

3.9% vs 2.4%

Body & structure

2.5% vs 2.7%

Seat belts & airbags

1.8% vs 0.7%

Wheels

0.2% vs 0.3%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Track rod ends 4.2× typical
Feel for play or knocking in the steering and check for wear on the inner edges of the front tyres.
Coil springs 2.1× typical
Look behind each wheel for a snapped coil (often the bottom one) and listen for clunks over bumps.
Suspension ball joints 2.9× typical
Listen for knocks over speed bumps and feel for wandering or vague steering.
Exhaust emissions (catalyst) 3.2× typical
Check past MOT emissions readings in the car's history: rising readings can mean catalyst or sensor problems.
Windscreen washers 1.6× typical
Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
Tyre tread depth 1.6× typical
Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

Renault TwingoTypical car

Most common MOT failures

Item	This car	Typical	vs typical
Coil springs	5.6%	2.7%	2.1×
Track rod ends	4.4%	1.1%	4.2×
Suspension ball joints	3.5%	1.2%	2.9×
Tyre damage & cracking	3.5%	3.3%	1.1×
Tyre tread depth	3.3%	2.0%	1.6×
Windscreen washers	3.2%	2.0%	1.6×
Sidelights	3.1%	2.3%	1.3×
Windscreen wipers	3.0%	2.3%	1.3×
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)	2.4%	0.8%	3.2×
Brake pipes	2.3%	0.6%	3.9×

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	58.4
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened	56.0
A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play	41.8
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements	32.6
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen	32.0
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen	29.4
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	24.2
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	22.6

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.

2018 Renault Twingo2 engines81.9% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
0.9 Petrol	2,538	82.2%	Beats 4%	E
1.0 Petrol	2,161	81.6%	Beats 3%	E

2017 Renault Twingo2 engines82.2% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.0 Petrol	5,572	82.4%	Beats 10%	E
0.9 Petrol	4,037	81.9%	Beats 6%	E

2016 Renault Twingo2 engines77.1% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.0 Petrol	15,402	76.9%	Beats 4%	E
0.9 Petrol	7,861	77.4%	Beats 3%	E

2015 Renault Twingo2 engines74.6% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.0 Petrol	31,906	74.7%	Beats 5%	E
0.9 Petrol	13,051	74.4%	Beats 5%	E

2014 Renault Twingo2 engines72.1% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.0 Petrol	4,785	72.9%	Beats 7%	E
1.1 Petrol	2,357	70.3%	Beats 4%	E

2013 Renault Twingo1 engine65.3% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	8,461	65.3%	Beats 4%	E

2012 Renault Twingo1 engine62.4% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	10,492	62.4%	Beats 6%	E

2011 Renault Twingo2 engines57.4% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	21,072	57.4%	Beats 5%	E
1.6 Petrol	1,541	57.6%	Beats 8%	E

2010 Renault Twingo2 engines57.9% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	35,115	57.9%	Beats 13%	E
1.6 Petrol	3,479	58.0%	Beats 22%	D

2009 Renault Twingo2 engines58.8% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	12,756	59.6%	Beats 24%	D
1.6 Petrol	2,524	54.7%	Beats 23%	D

2008 Renault Twingo1 engine52.8% passE

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	27,513	52.8%	Beats 19%	E

2007 Renault Twingo1 engine53.6% passD

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
1.1 Petrol	4,740	53.6%	Beats 23%	D

FAQ

What is the Renault Twingo MOT pass rate?

65.2% of MOT tests on the Renault Twingo were passed first time, based on 217,363 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2007–2018. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 73.3% of the time.

Is the Renault Twingo 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 10% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Renault Twingo year is best?

Among years with enough data, the 2008 Twingo does best for its age and mileage: it beats 19% of cars on UK roads. The 2016 does worst: it beats 4%.

Which Renault Twingo engine is best?

Across all years, the 1.1 Petrol does best: it beats 12% of cars on UK roads. The 0.9 Petrol does worst: it beats 4%.

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

The most common failure items are coil springs, track rod ends, suspension ball joints. Compared with similar cars, track rod ends comes up 4.2× 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 Twingo 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