Renault Scenic (2004)

33,654 real MOT outcomes analysed • 69.5% first-time pass rate

2004 Renault Scenic

CarHunch analysed 33,654 real MOT records for the 2004 Renault Scenic. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.

The 2004 Renault Scenic is notably less reliable than the UK average, with a first-time pass rate of just 69.5% against the 80% benchmark—a concerning gap that suggests persistent structural issues. Worse, nearly three in ten of these vehicles (29.3%) have recorded a dangerous defect at some point, making this a serious buyer concern regardless of fuel type, as petrol and diesel variants perform almost identically.

At nearly 45,000 miles on average, these Scenics show typical mileage for their age, but they're accumulating an average of 4.55 failures per MOT cycle, indicating that ageing components are becoming expensive problems. Before purchasing one, have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the cooling system, suspension, and brake integrity, as the high advisory count (17.3 per vehicle) suggests wear is widespread and not always caught as outright failures.

Below average reliability 10.5% below UK average
69.5%
pass MOT first time
UK average: ~80%
37,122
typical mileage
28,868–49,634 middle half
29.4%
ever had a dangerous defect
recorded at any MOT
4.55
avg MOT failures per car
over 14.2 tests on record

Petrol vs Diesel

Pass rate difference of 1.5 percentage points — worth knowing if you're choosing between the two.

70.1%
Petrol
20,400 vehicles
68.6%
Diesel
13,240 vehicles

What to check before buying a 2004 Renault Scenic

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.
  • ⚠️ 29.4% of these vehicles have had a dangerous defect recorded. Enter the reg below — the full MOT history will show exactly what was flagged and whether it was resolved.
  • 📄 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 Renault Scenic

MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.

Inspection ClickMechanic Have a qualified mechanic check this car before you commit to buying

CarHunch may earn a small commission if you buy via these links — at no extra cost to you.

Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type Vehicles Pass rate Avg failures
Petrol (61%) 20,400 70.1% 4.65
Diesel (39%) 13,240 68.6% 4.4
LPG (0%) 8 67.6% 4.88
Other (0%) 5 75% 1.2
Electric (0%) 1 64.7% 6

Mileage Distribution

Most 2004 Renault Scenic 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.

28,868
low mileage
37,122
typical
49,634
high mileage

Half of all 2004 Renault Scenic vehicles fall between 28,868 and 49,634 miles.

2004 Renault Scenic — Still on the Road

Numbers are declining — 2,005 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2021 (8% of peak).

25,984 2,005 2014 2021

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2021.

MOT History Averages

14.2
Avg MOT tests per vehicle
4.55
Avg failures per vehicle
17.3
Avg advisories per vehicle

Most Common MOT Issues — 2004 Renault Scenic

Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.

  • 85.7%
    Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 82%
    Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 81.7%
    Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 73.7%
    Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit
  • 70.3%
    Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
  • 62%
    Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin
  • 57%
    Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
  • 47.6%
    Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 2004. Counts include advisories and failures.

Found a specific Renault Scenic?

Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.

UK

Other model years — Renault Scenic:

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019