Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel (1987)
1987 Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel
CarHunch analysed 1,891 real MOT records for the 1987 Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
Only 60% of these 1987 Maestro diesels pass first time—well below the UK average of 80%—which reflects the age and condition challenges you'd expect from a 37-year-old car. The good news is that dangerous defects are rare at just 0.1%, so safety-critical failures aren't the main concern here.
With a median mileage of 100,000 miles but an average of 143,594, these survivors are typically higher-mileage examples, yet they're remarkably trouble-free once they pass, averaging only 0.01 failures per vehicle. If you're buying one, get a pre-purchase inspection to catch the issues that cause first-time MOT failures—electrics, emissions, and suspension are your likely weak spots—but don't expect catastrophic engine or gearbox problems.
What to check before buying a 1987 Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel
Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.
- 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
- 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
- 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
- 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.
Before you buy a Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel
MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.
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Pass Rate by Fuel Type
| Fuel type | Vehicles | Pass rate | Avg failures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel (96%) | 1,820 | 0.6% | 0.01 |
| Petrol (4%) | 71 | 0.5% | 0.03 |
Mileage Distribution
Most 1987 Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.
Half of all 1987 Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel vehicles fall between 75,280 and 138,885 miles.
MOT History Averages
Found a specific Austin Maestro 700 City Diesel?
Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.