Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 23,317 tests analysed

Renault Captur 2016: reliability & common MOT faults

6,321 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2016 Renault Captur in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Ball joint (front) and Tyres — Condition (front). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Capturs passed first time 2.7 pp more often than diesel ones (74.5% of 9,511 vs 71.8% of 13,806).

First-attempt pass

72.9%

of 23,317 first tests (2025)

First tests

23,317

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

6,321

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

15.3%

Ball joint (front)

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

72.9%

of 23,317 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

77.8%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

23,317

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 9.0 yrs · median mileage 56,729 mi

vs 2024: -3.6 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 6,299 of 6,321 failed first attempts (99.7%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Linkage ball joints (front) — 6.8% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 429 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 5.4× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 429 ×5.4 6.8% Strong
Individual direction indicators (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Individual direction indicators
 Rear 126 ×4.0 2.0% Likely
Parking brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake performance > Rbt > Parking brake performance
 Rear 126 ×3.5 2.0% Likely
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Rear 345 ×3.3 5.5% Likely
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 962 ×3.2 15.3% Likely
Rbt (sp)
Brakes > Brake performance > Parking brake efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp)
 Any 421 ×2.5 6.7% Possible
Linkage ball joint dust cover (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joint dust cover
 Front 217 ×2.4 3.4% Possible
Registration plate lamp(s) (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Rear 268 ×2.4 4.3% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Individual direction indicators (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Direction indicators > Flashing type > Individual direction indicators
 Rear 156 ×5.8 2.5% Likely
Pedal
Brakes > Service brake pedal or hand lever > Pedal
 Any 70 ×5.7 1.1% Elevated
Linkage ball joints (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage ball joints
 Front 165 ×3.7 2.6% Strong
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Ball joint
 Front 36 ×3.6 0.6% Strong
Brake fluid
Brakes > Hydraulic systems > Brake fluid
 Any 28 ×2.8 0.4% Elevated
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Plate brake tester > Service brake performance
 Rear 51 ×2.6 0.8% Likely
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 2.7 pp less often, on 13,806 tests.

This year also sits 1.2 pp above the midpoint of the 2015 and 2017 cars either side of it — a real break in the model's own run, not the usual year-on-year drift.

Other Captur years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2014 Captur +3.1 pp better 63.7% 17,288
2020 Captur +1.1 pp better 87.0% 12,754
2013 Captur -9.0 pp worse 54.7% 5,383
2015 Captur -1.7 pp worse 66.6% 21,754
2019 Captur -1.3 pp worse 81.5% 19,176

What to check on a 2016 Captur

The items that failed 2016 Capturs most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Ball joint (front) — recorded on 15.3% of failed first attempts
  • Tyres — Condition (front) — recorded on 9.4% of failed first attempts
  • Tread depth (front) — recorded on 9.0% of failed first attempts
  • Coil spring (front) — recorded on 8.8% of failed first attempts
  • Linkage ball joints (front) — recorded on 6.8% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

Petrol Capturs passed first time 2.7 pp more often than diesel ones (74.5% of 9,511 vs 71.8% of 13,806). In 2025, 72.9% of 23,317 first MOTs on the 2016 Renault Captur passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 77.8%. Among 6,321 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Linkage ball joints (front) appears more often than on…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2016 Renault Capturs most often at the first attempt were Ball joint (front) (15.3%), Tyres — Condition (front) (9.4%) and Tread depth (front) (9.0%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table ans…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Linkage ball joints (front) (6.8% of those tests; 429 observed failures; about 5.4× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Linkage ball joints (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (6.8% of those tests; 429 observed failures; about 5.4× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2016 Renault Captur include Linkage ball joints (front), Individual direction indicators (rear), Parking brake performance (rear). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2016 Renault Captur (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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