Bentley Continental (2006)

1,675 real MOT outcomes analysed • 89.8% first-time pass rate

2006 Bentley Continental

CarHunch analysed 1,675 real MOT records for the 2006 Bentley Continental. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.

The 2006 Bentley Continental passes its MOT first time 89.8% of the time, comfortably ahead of the UK average of 80%, which is genuinely impressive for an 18-year-old luxury car. Nearly one in five of these vehicles (19.8%) have recorded at least one dangerous defect over their MOT history, so you'll want a thorough pre-purchase inspection and full service history.

At a median mileage of just 41,159 miles, these Continentals have been babied by their owners—well below what you'd expect for the age. The average car picks up 1.61 failures and 6.7 advisories per test cycle, suggesting routine wear items and minor niggles are the norm rather than catastrophic problems; budget for regular servicing and a specialist Bentley technician, because DIY fixes on this machinery get expensive fast.

Average reliability 9.8% above UK average
89.8%
pass MOT first time
UK average: ~80%
41,159
typical mileage
26,694–57,577 middle half
19.8%
ever had a dangerous defect
recorded at any MOT
1.61
avg MOT failures per car
over 14.5 tests on record

What to check before buying a 2006 Bentley Continental

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 Bentley Continental

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
Petrol (100%) 1,673 89.8% 1.61
Diesel (0%) 1 83.3% 2
LPG (0%) 1 93.3% 1

Mileage Distribution

Most 2006 Bentley Continental 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.

26,694
low mileage
41,159
typical
57,577
high mileage

Half of all 2006 Bentley Continental vehicles fall between 26,694 and 57,577 miles.

2006 Bentley Continental — Still on the Road

985 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 — 76% of the peak remain.

1,285 985 2014 2025

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.

MOT History Averages

14.5
Avg MOT tests per vehicle
1.61
Avg failures per vehicle
6.7
Avg advisories per vehicle

Most Common MOT Issues — 2006 Bentley Continental

Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.

  • 28.4%
    Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
  • 26.4%
    Engine covers fitted obscuring some components in the engine bay
  • 21.7%
    Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 21.4%
    Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 19.3%
    Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 19.1%
    Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 15.5%
    Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened
  • 15.1%
    Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 2006. Counts include advisories and failures.

Found a specific Bentley Continental?

Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.

UK

Other model years — Bentley Continental:

2004 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016