Reliant Metrocab (1990)
1990 Reliant Metrocab
CarHunch has 425 1990 Reliant Metrocab vehicles on record, but none have light-vehicle MOT history in our data source.
Moderate sample. 425 vehicles on record. Figures are indicative — the specific vehicle's history matters more than these averages.
No MOT data available for this vehicle type
The 1990 Reliant Metrocab doesn't appear in DVLA light-vehicle MOT records — it may be exempt, registered as a different vehicle class, or an import not subject to UK MOT testing. We don't have reliability stats for this specific model, but you can browse other Reliant vehicles below.
Got a specific Reliant Metrocab you're checking out?
The real detail is in the individual vehicle report — MOT history, AI Hunches, mileage timeline, and defect patterns for that specific reg.
The 1990 Reliant Metrocab is a three-wheeled commercial vehicle, and these 425 examples were almost certainly tested under the DVSA heavy-vehicle MOT regime rather than the standard light-vehicle system — which is why conventional pass-rate comparisons don't apply here. What we can say is that among the Metrocabs in this cohort, just 1.2% ever recorded a dangerous defect, and the average vehicle accumulated only 0.08 failures and 0.1 advisories per test, suggesting these were relatively straightforward to keep roadworthy.
At a median mileage of 181,000 miles for vehicles of 34 years old, these Metrocabs show typical hard commercial use, yet the low defect burden tells us that owners who maintained them properly had few nasty surprises. If you're considering one of these quirky three-wheelers, the real question isn't MOT statistics — it's whether the specific example has a full service history and hasn't been left to rot, because finding parts and skilled repair support for a 1990 Metrocab is far harder than the MOT data suggests.
We have 425 1990 Reliant Metrocab vehicles on record, but none have light-vehicle MOT history in our data source.
There are a few reasons this can happen:
- Heavy commercial vehicle — trucks, buses and coaches over 3.5 tonnes are tested under the DVSA annual HGV/PSV regime, which uses a separate database not included in our data source
- Imported vehicles — vehicles registered abroad and recently brought to the UK may have no UK MOT history yet
- MOT-exempt — vehicles manufactured before 1986 qualify under the 40-year rolling exemption; some specialist and agricultural vehicles are also exempt
- Never used on public roads — some vehicles are registered but kept off-road and have never required an MOT
What tends to go wrong
Across 425 vehicles — figures show how many had each issue flagged at least once in their MOT history.
Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1990.
Before you buy a 1990 Reliant Metrocab
Based on MOT data from 425 vehicles — here's what to check.
-
📋
Check the full MOT history.
1.2% 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
Colour Breakdown
Based on 515 Reliant Metrocab vehicles registered in the UK — across all years. From DVLA registration records.
Compare with another model
See how the 1990 Reliant Metrocab stacks up against a rival.