2016 The Explorer Group Unclassified — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 779 MOT tests analysed for the 2016 The Explorer Group Unclassified, the most common recorded failure areas were lighting & signalling, visibility and seat belts & restraints. Its pass rate of 95.4% was above the average for cars of a similar age (85.9%).
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 43 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.1% | 24 |
| 3 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.9% | 7 |
| 4 | Tyres | 0.9% | 7 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.8% | 6 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 3 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 26 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 24 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 16 |
| 4 | Outline marker lamp | 11 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 7 |
| 6 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 7 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.7% | 44 |
| 2 | Suspension | 2.9% | 23 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.7% | 21 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.9% | 15 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.4% | 11 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 8 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 725 | 4.5% |
| 30-60k | 54 | 5.6% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 160 | 3.8% |
| 2022 | 158 | 3.2% |
| 2023 | 161 | 3.1% |
| 2024 | 152 | 8.6% |
| 2025 | 148 | 4.7% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Unclassified
Before buying a 2016 The Explorer Group Unclassified, focus on the areas it most often fails on. Lighting & signalling accounted for 5.5% of tests for this year.
- Lighting & signalling (5.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.1% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Seat belts & restraints (0.9% of tests): Belt damage or faulty pretensioners — usually straightforward but safety-critical. Typical repair: £50–£300.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2016 The Explorer Group Unclassifieds pass their MOT?
95.4% of the 779 2016 The Explorer Group Unclassified MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 4.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 The Explorer Group Unclassified?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.5% of tests, followed by visibility (3.1%).
Does the 2016 Unclassified get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.5% in the 0-30k band to 5.6% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 779 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.