All generations and engines together · 10,309 MOT tests in the 2025 data
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 9,514 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
The turbo 1.6 THP engine (shared with the Mini Cooper S/JCW of the same era) uses a timing chain with a tensioner that loses spring tension over time. Owners hear a rattly, diesel-like clatter on cold start that fades as revs rise, and if it's ignored the chain can jump or snap, wrecking the valves and pistons. It tends to show from around 60,000-100,000 miles and a full repair (chain, tensioner, guides) runs roughly £600-1,200, more if the engine has already been damaged.
On the same 1.6 THP engine the narrow oil feed pipe to the turbo can silt up with carbon (coking), starving the turbo of oil. Symptoms are a whining or rattling turbo, a drop in boost, or in worse cases outright turbo failure needing a replacement in the £700-1,200 range. It is not officially acknowledged as a design fault, but it comes up repeatedly on the owners' forum alongside the timing chain issue, and both point back to the same engine's marginal oil supply.
The double-bubble glass roof, boot spoiler drain holes and wiring loom grommets are all recurring leak points, with water tracking a long way from where it gets in before it shows up as a damp footwell or a soaked boot floor. This lines up with the measured MOT data for the RCZ's segment, which flags emissions and leaks as the standout fault category; the roof and body seals seem to be a real contributor to that, even though owners usually blame the roof rather than the exhaust side. Repairs range from a free reseal to £200-plus if wiring or carpets need drying out and a fuse box has corroded.
A weak spot in the door window regulator's circuit board or cable means windows can stop responding, drop and not come back up, or only go down halfway. It shows up at any age and mileage rather than being a high-mileage fault, and owners report replacement regulators (aftermarket or used) costing around £150-350 fitted. There's no recall or TSB for it, just a steady stream of forum threads describing the same failure.
On the 2.0 HDi diesel, an EGR valve that sticks open lets soot foul the DPF, causing hesitation, a warning light and, if driven around town rather than on long runs, a blocked filter that needs forced regeneration or replacement. Cleaning or replacing the EGR and DPF runs from around £150 for a clean up to £800-plus for new parts. Doesn't apply to the petrol THP cars.
A clonking noise at idle in neutral, or when pulling away, points to a worn dual-mass flywheel, which on the RCZ's forum some owners say has failed as early as 15,000-20,000 miles while others rack up well over 60,000 without trouble. Left alone, broken-off flywheel parts can damage the gearbox itself, so it's worth listening for even on a low-mileage car. A clutch and DMF replacement is typically £500-900.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Coupés, convertibles & GT), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.