Should I check the MOT history before buying a 1998 Morgan 4/4?

Yes. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. A full MOT history analysis will highlight patterns that a single test result won't reveal.

What corrosion should I look for when inspecting a 1998 Morgan 4/4?

Check brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that is expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.

How are tyres and brakes typically on a 1998 Morgan 4/4?

Tyres and brakes are the most common advisory items on vehicles of this age. Budget for replacement if they are near the limit, and factor this into your offer price.

Is the 1998 Morgan 4/4 reliable?

Based on MOT data from 107 vehicles, the 1998 Morgan 4/4 has a first-time MOT pass rate of 85.8%, indicating generally reliable for its class. Always check the full MOT history of any specific vehicle before buying.

What are common problems with the 1998 Morgan 4/4?

The most frequently recorded MOT issues on the 1998 Morgan 4/4 are: Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing (28.2% of vehicles), Nearside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush (23.7% of vehicles), Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (17.2% of vehicles). These figures are based on actual MOT test records — search a specific registration on CarHunch to see its individual history.

Do I need an HPI check when buying a 1998 Morgan 4/4?

Yes. The MOT history will not show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status. An HPI check covers these areas and should be part of any used car purchase.

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Morgan 4/4 (1998)

107 real MOT outcomes analysed • 85.8% first-time pass rate

1998 Morgan 4/4

CarHunch analysed 107 real MOT records for the 1998 Morgan 4/4. Real test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — from verified DVLA records. Updated as new MOTs are recorded.
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AI Analysis Reliability Overview Common Issues Check a Specific Reg Buyer's Checklist Mileage Distribution Still on the Road MOT Averages Compare Models

The 1998 Morgan 4/4 passes its MOT at a rate of 81%, just above the UK average of 80%, which suggests broadly typical reliability for a vehicle of this age—though the 16.8% dangerous defect rate does warrant caution from a safety perspective. These are low-mileage cars overall, with a median of just 19,456 miles, suggesting many are garage queens rather than daily drivers, which helps explain the reasonable pass rate despite their age.

When these Morgans do fail, they average 2.76 failures and 5.5 advisories per test, indicating persistent issues rather than one-off problems—typical of older sports cars with ageing electrics, exhaust systems, and suspension components. Before buying, budget for a pre-purchase inspection by a Morgan specialist, since generic mechanics often miss the quirks of hand-built, lightweight chassis, and verify maintenance history carefully given the high advisory count.

We have limited data for the 1998 Morgan 4/4 — treat the figures below as indicative rather than definitive.

⚠️ Around 1 in 8 of these vehicles have had a dangerous MOT failure at some point — usually tyres or brakes, and often a one-off issue rather than a persistent problem. The group stats won't tell you which one you're looking at.

First-time pass

85.8%

UK average ~80%

Around average

Dangerous (ever)

16.8%

At least once in MOT history

Check this vehicle

Avg failures / car

2.76

Over 17.9 tests on record

High

Typical mileage

19k

Middle half: 14k–32k

For context

These stats describe 107 vehicles as a group. The specific vehicle you're looking at could be the one good example or the one outlier. Run its registration to find out.

Average reliability — agree?

What tends to go wrong

Across 107 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.

Brake wear 28.2%

Brake pedal anti-slip provision missing · Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively · Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively

Ask the seller when brakes were last serviced. If they don't know, factor in the cost.

Suspension & steering 23.7%

Nearside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush · Offside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush · Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play · …

Harder to spot without a ramp — this is a good reason to book a pre-purchase inspection.

Tyre wear 17.2%

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit · Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit · Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit · …

Budget for a full set — on a vehicle this age, tyres are expected consumables. An inspection will confirm how much is left.

Other issues 14.8%

Oil leak, but not excessive · Horn not working

Lighting 10.8%

Offside Rear fog lamp not working · Rear fog lamp not working · Offside Stop lamp not working

Usually cheap to fix. Worth confirming all lights work before collecting.

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1998.

See this vehicle's full MOT history & AI hunches

Spot recurring advisories, hidden issues, and how it compares to 107 Morgan 4/4 cars.

Before you buy a 1998 Morgan 4/4

Based on MOT data from 107 vehicles — here's what to check.

📋 Check the full MOT history. 16.8% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded - recurring advisories often signal problems years before they become failures.
Search the reg on CarHunch for the full MOT history, reliability stats and a free AI-powered analysis of that exact vehicle.
🔍 Brake pipes, sills and subframes are the key areas on a vehicle this age — structural rust is hard to spot without getting underneath. A mechanic will check all of this before you commit, and give you a concrete basis to negotiate on price. Inspection →
📄 Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and clocking won't appear in the MOT records — a dedicated history check covers all of this. Our link gets you 20% off automatically. History Get 20% off via CarHunch

Mileage Distribution

Most 1998 Morgan 4/4 vehicles sit in the blue band. If the vehicle you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

19,456

typical

14,338

low mileage

31,901

high mileage

Half of all 1998 Morgan 4/4 vehicles fall between 14,338 and 31,901 miles.

Is the mileage you're seeing normal?

✓ Under 14,338 miles — lower than most. Could be great, or could be a vehicle that rarely moved. Check test frequency and mileage progression in the MOT history.

✓ 14,338–31,901 miles — normal for age. This is where most 1998 Morgan 4/4s sit.

⚠ Over 43,066 miles — higher than typical. Not necessarily a problem, but check service history and look out for advisory build-up on tyres and brakes.

1998 Morgan 4/4 — Still on the Road

Most 1998 Morgan 4/4s are still being driven.

Strong survival — 69 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025, 84% of the peak.

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.
* The 2020 dip reflects the government's COVID-19 MOT exemption, which allowed certificates to be extended by six months — fewer tests were conducted that year.

MOT History Averages

17.9

Avg MOT tests per vehicle

2.76

Avg failures per vehicle

5.5

Avg advisories per vehicle

Other model years — Morgan 4/4: All 4/4 years → Which year to buy? →

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1987 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

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Compare with another model

See how the 1998 Morgan 4/4 stacks up against a rival.

Average reliability — agree?