Renault

Which year Renault R5 is most reliable?

Based on 20,308 vehicles (1983–1996) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"
These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 R5 at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 R5 at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."
Years to look for
1983
Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other R5s
Worth extra checks
1985
Lowest pass rate at 61.1% — years are closely matched but this one trails the rest
See common failures for 1985 →
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Dataset
20,308
vehicles · 1983–1996 · millions of MOT records
CarHunch sweet spot — 1983, 1987, 1989–1992
These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 63.0–73.1% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year Pass rate Vehicles
1996
63.3%
797
1995
62.4%
2,499
1994
63.0%
2,686
1993
62.2%
1,176
1992
65.5%
681
1991
65.2%
927
1990
65.3%
3,443
1989
63.0%
3,444
1988
61.3%
2,172
1987
63.5%
1,072
1986
62.4%
848
1985
61.1%
459
1983
73.1%
104 Recommended

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?
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