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Aston Martin DB9, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

3,734 Aston Martin DB9s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 90.1% of initial MOT tests, 17.8 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific DB9? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Aston Martin DB9 at the MOT

90.1% of 4,209 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the DB9 36th of 575 models. Aston Martin DB9s aged 6 to 10 years passed 97% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 89.2%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Aston Martin DB990.1%
  • All Aston Martin modelsThe DB9 is 2 pts behind92.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Aston Martin DB9 tests in 2025.

  • 6 to 10 years493 tests97%
  • 11 years and over3,716 tests89.2%

Where DB9s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Aston Martin DB9 tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment33.2%
  • Brakes16.5%
  • Visibility12.7%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks12.4%
  • Suspension8.5%

The items testers recorded most often were malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.7%), position lamp not working (8.7%) and wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (6%).

The MOT page lists every common DB9 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Aston Martin DB9 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The DB9's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.33.2% of DB9 failure items

  2. Brakes

    Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.16.5% of DB9 failure items

  3. Visibility

    Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.12.7% of DB9 failure items

Aston Martin DB9s in the UK

3,734 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Aston Martin. The number licensed has fallen 11% since the end of 2014, and 15% from its peak of 4,388 at the end of 2016.

Change since 2014
−11%from 4,217 licensed
Typical year of first use
2007half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2007 or earlier
First registered in 2025
1against 230 in 2015
Declared off the road
1,12623% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Aston Martin DB9s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 20144,217
End of 20154,308
End of 20164,388
End of 20174,309
End of 20184,136
End of 20194,018
End of 20203,776
End of 20213,716
End of 20223,615
End of 20233,426
End of 20243,234
End of 20253,124
End of June 20263,734

How old they are

Licensed Aston Martin DB9s by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
20172647
2016136194
2015148230
2014139
2013131
201252
201158
2010128
2009162
2008326
2007411
2006398
2005732
2004180

DB9 engine sizes

5.9 litre engines made up 99% of Aston Martin DB9 MOT tests in 2025. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed DB9s.

Aston Martin DB9 recalls

7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Aston Martin DB9. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every DB9 is affected.

  1. Dec 2017 R/2017/345

    Vehicle may roll away

    DB9s built Dec 2007 to Jan 2017 · 3,849 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to a communication error between the Engine Control Module (ECM) software and the Transmission Control Module (TCM) the transmission park pawl may not engage. In certain circumstances such as when the park brake is not applied the vehicle may roll away.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles update the software for the Transmission Control Module.

  2. Dec 2017 R/2017/343

    Movement of seat may damage battery supply cable

    DB9s built Dec 2003 to Nov 2015 · 6,542 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    In some circumstances when the right side front seat is operated to its fully reward position the seat runner can compress the battery supply cable and cause the seat to damage the battery supply cable. This may cause an open circuit and/or ground the supply cable which may then overheat.
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles examine the battery supply cable for damage and install a routing block to ensure that the seat runner cannot compress the battery supply cable. If necessary replace the cable.

  3. Apr 2016 R/2016/082

    Risk of short-circuit in battery supply cable

    DB9s built Mar 2007 to May 2007 · 691 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the right fron seat can compress the battery supply cable. Prolonged occurences coulld cause damage to the insulation and the cable may short out
    Remedy
    Fit new cable guide to reroute supply cable. Check condition of supply cable and where necessary reinforce insulation. In rare instances the cable may require replacement.

  4. Dec 2014 R/2014/163

    Seat may overheat

    DB9s built Jun 2006 to Nov 2014 · 8,299 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles The control module for the front heated seats mail fail and when the ignition is switched on allow a permanent feed to the heater element(s). In this condition it may not be possible to switch off the heater element and over a period of time this may cause a seat to overheat and smouldering to occur. Occupants will notice an inability to switch the seat heater off using the designated switch and over longer periods a higher than normal temperature of the seat squab.
    Remedy
    Fit additional seat heater monitoring modules. Where necessary seat elements may also be replaced.

  5. Jul 2014 R/2014/078

    Intermittent fault with transmission control switches

    313 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the transmission switches have a chrome plating surround. This can interact with the printed circuit board within the switches and create an intermittent earth path to other surrounding parts In the subject vehicles this can cause the transmission to default to neutral without any driver input for gear selection resulting in a loss drive.
    Remedy
    Replace existing switches with updated version. Brakes and steering are not affected.

  6. May 2013 R/2013/067

    Throttle pedal may fail

    DB9s built May 2012 to Apr 2013 · 1,289 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The throttle pedal may fail resulting in the driver being unable to accelerate or maintain speed. The throttle pedal arm on the affected vehicles is not to specification.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the throttle pedal with one of the correct specification.

  7. Oct 2010 R/2010/148

    Steering may be affected

    DB9s built Mar 2007 to Sep 2007 · 1,035 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It has been established that the front suspension bottom suspension arm cam-bolt may be out of specification. It is possible that these bolts could crack and fail. This could in extreme cases affect the directional control of the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Recall all affected vehicles for the replacement of the cam-bolt.
How to check a specific DB9 for recalls

Other Aston Martin models

The most-tested Aston Martin models in 2025, against the DB9's 90.1% MOT pass rate.

All 6 Aston Martin models

Aston Martin DB9 FAQs

How many Aston Martin DB9s are there in the UK?

3,734 Aston Martin DB9s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,126 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Aston Martin DB9 reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 90.1% first-time pass rate for the Aston Martin DB9 across 4,209 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Aston Martin DB9 had any recalls?

7 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Aston Martin DB9. The most recent was published in December 2017. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Aston Martin DB9?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and visibility. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check an Aston Martin DB9's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a DB9?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Aston Martin history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Aston Martin VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.