Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS (1986)
1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS
CarHunch analysed 102 real MOT records for the 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.
This 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS is in dire condition: only 5.2% pass on their first MOT attempt, compared to the UK average of 80%, which means almost every one of these vans requires significant remedial work before it's legal to drive. With a dangerous defect rate of just 1%, structural safety isn't the primary concern—the failures are spread across wear items and systems that have simply degraded over nearly four decades.
The median mileage of 73,264 miles is surprisingly low for a vehicle this old, suggesting many surviving examples have been stored or used intermittently, yet they still rack up an average of 0.08 failures per test. Any 1986 Sherpa you encounter should be treated as a project vehicle requiring immediate inspection of brakes, lights, suspension and exhaust; buying one assumes you're prepared for repair costs that will dwarf its scrap value.
What to check before buying a 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS
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 350 DS
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 (57%) | 58 | 7.4% | 0.05 |
| Petrol (43%) | 44 | 2.2% | 0.11 |
Mileage Distribution
Most 1986 Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS 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 350 DS vehicles fall between 70,426 and 107,695 miles.
MOT History Averages
Found a specific Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS?
Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.
Other model years — Freight Rover Sherpa 350 DS: