Is the Rover 420 reliable?

The Rover 420 has an average MOT pass rate of 70% across 4 years, based on 294 tests in 2026. That's 12 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 1997 with a 78% pass rate.

Which year Rover 420 is best?

The 1997 Rover 420 has the highest MOT pass rate at 78%, while the 1998 model has the lowest at 61%. There's a 17 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Rover 420

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 4 years from 294 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

70%

Total Tests

294

Best Year

1997 (78%)

Years Covered

About the Rover 420

The Rover 420 has been tested 294 times in 2026 MOT data across 4 model years (1996 to 1999), with an average pass rate of 70%. That's 12 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as petrol and diesel.

Best and Worst Years

The 1997 model is the most reliable with a 78% pass rate from 74 tests. The 1998 model has the lowest at 61%. With a 17 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Older ROVER 420s tend to have better MOT pass rates than newer ones, with an average decline of 13 percentage points across model years.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1996) averages 100,737 miles, while the newest (1999) averages 81,796 miles. Older models have covered serious mileage, so suspension and drivetrain wear are worth checking.

Compared to the Rover brand average of 74%, the 420 is 4 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Rover models.