Does the Reliant Scimitar fail the MOT on brakes more than it should?
The Reliant Scimitar records 14.94 brakes failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 20.28 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−5.34, 95% interval −6.87 to −3.82). It ranks 578 of 712 models on brakes (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on brakes · check a Reliant Scimitar by registration
What exactly fails on brakes?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Reliant Scimitar is “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.”, recorded 93 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle. | 93 | 2.78 |
| Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake | 62 | 1.85 |
| Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 61 | 1.82 |
| Parking brake inoperative on one side | 39 | 1.17 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,347 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Reliant Scimitar by postcode area · Reliant Scimitar body, chassis and structure failures · Reliant Scimitar lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Reliant Scimitar noise, emissions and leaks failures · Reliant Scimitar seat belts and airbags failures · Reliant Scimitar steering failures · Reliant Scimitar suspension failures · Reliant Scimitar tyres failures · Reliant Scimitar visibility failures