Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb (1986)
1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb
CarHunch analysed 364 real MOT records for the 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
The 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 CB matches the UK average pass rate at exactly 80%, but the headline figures mask a serious problem: petrol examples have a catastrophic 40% pass rate versus diesel's 160% anomaly (likely a data error), and only 0.3% of vehicles have ever recorded a dangerous defect, which is genuinely reassuring for a 38-year-old van. These are incredibly low-mileage survivors—averaging just 96,046 miles across 364 examples—which suggests most remaining Sherpas are either cherished classics or light-use workhorses that simply haven't been hammered.
When these vans do fail an MOT, it's almost never structural: the average vehicle accumulates just 0.01 failures and zero advisories, indicating that mechanically they're either solid or simply too old to generate the wear patterns modern vehicles do. If you're considering one, a pre-purchase inspection by a van specialist is non-negotiable given the era, but focus your money on finding a low-mileage petrol example in documented good condition rather than relying on MOT history alone.
What to check before buying a 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb
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 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb
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 (71%) | 258 | 0.5% | 0.01 |
| Diesel (29%) | 106 | 1.6% | 0.01 |
Mileage Distribution
Most 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb 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 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb vehicles fall between 69,773 and 111,216 miles.
MOT History Averages
Found a specific Freight Rover Sherpa 250 Cb?
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