Bentley Continental, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
14,126 Bentley Continentals are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 91.7% of initial MOT tests, 19.4 points above the 72.3% UK average.
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Bentley Continental at the MOT
91.7% of 14,754 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Continental 17th of 575 models. Bentley Continentals aged 3 to 5 years passed 96.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 89.5%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Bentley Continental tests in 2025.
Where Continentals fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Bentley Continental tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction (9.1%), pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (5.2%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.1%).
The MOT page lists every common Continental MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Continental's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.19.5% of Continental failure items
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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.19.4% of Continental failure items
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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.15.7% of Continental failure items
Bentley Continentals in the UK
14,126 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Bentley. The number licensed has grown 28% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +28%from 11,023 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2013half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2013 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 501against 1,038 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 3,13418% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Bentley Continentals since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 11,023 |
| End of 2015 | 11,542 |
| End of 2016 | 12,112 |
| End of 2017 | 12,431 |
| End of 2018 | 12,767 |
| End of 2019 | 13,430 |
| End of 2020 | 13,488 |
| End of 2021 | 13,669 |
| End of 2022 | 13,806 |
| End of 2023 | 13,561 |
| End of 2024 | 13,215 |
| End of 2025 | 13,410 |
| End of June 2026 | 14,126 |
How old they are
Licensed Bentley Continentals by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 1,872 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 457 | 501 |
| 2024 | 309 | 350 |
| 2023 | 332 | 452 |
| 2022 | 421 | 614 |
| 2021 | 366 | 529 |
| 2020 | 572 | 794 |
| 2019 | 732 | 1,013 |
| 2018 | 542 | 715 |
| 2017 | 602 | 782 |
| 2016 | 751 | 1,038 |
| 2015 | 691 | 975 |
| 2014 | 625 | |
| 2013 | 627 | |
| 2012 | 601 | |
| 2011 | 456 | |
| 2010 | 419 | |
| 2009 | 342 | |
| 2008 | 684 | |
| 2007 | 1,024 | |
| 2006 | 808 |
691 Continentals first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 71% of the 975 first registered that year.
Continental engines and fuel
6.0 litre engines made up 71% of Bentley Continental MOT tests in 2025, followed by 4.0 litre at 26%. Petrol accounts for 94% of licensed Continentals and plug-in hybrid for 5.9%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 14,754 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Continentals
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 13,248 | 94% |
| Battery electric | 1 | <0.1% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 828 | 6% |
| Hybrid electric | 23 | 0.2% |
| Other fuels | 26 | 0.2% |
Bentley Continental recalls
16 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Bentley Continental. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Continental is affected.
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Jun 2026 R/2026/216
RECALL CAMPAIGN - Bentley Continental GT Continental GT Convertible Flying Spur - Incorrect Front Driveshafts (RE26/14 RD93)
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the front axles may have been assembled with an incorrect drive shaft which is shorter than intended. If an incorrect front driveshaft has been fitted it may result in the hub securing nut becoming loose over time.
- Remedy
- Inspect the front driveshafts and replace them if required.
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Mar 2023 R/2023/064
When riveting the airbag deflector bracket to the seat frame a sharp edge on the rivet could be created. In the event of the seat airbags being deployed it is possible that the airbag material could become torn reducing the effectiveness of occupant protection
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- A check of each front seat and rework carried out where necessary.
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Feb 2023 R/2023/037
The water pump concept can create a vacuum within the electrical area of the pump. As a result liquid from the coolant system can permeate through the pump housing onto the electrical circuit board and connector
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- A hardware change of the water pump
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Mar 2022 R/2022/078
Incorrect front passenger seat belt assemblies without an automatic locking retractor function (ALR) may have been installed
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Incorrect front passenger seat belt assemblies without an automatic locking retractor (ALR) function may have been installed.
- Remedy
- Inspect the affected front seat belt assemblies and replace if necessary.
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Jul 2021 R/2021/276
The front seat software could result in trapping of a rear occupant's legs
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Update the software for the front seats.
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Jun 2021 R/2021/221
A manufacturing issue could prevent the accelerator pedal from returning to its resting position
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Inconsistent fitment of the fuse box and the electrical harness may prevent the accelerator pedal from returning to its resting position.
- Remedy
- Check and if necessary rework the A-post lower trim ensuring correct clearance of the trim to the accelerator pedal.
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Jan 2021 R/2020/373
The convertible roof can be activated using the key fob at distances exceeding six metres
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The convertible roof can be activated using the key fob at distances exceeding six metres which contravenes an internal safety guidance measure.
- Remedy
- Update the software parameters within the Body Control Module 2 to disable the activation of the convertible roof via the key fob and update the Owner's Handbook.
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Jun 2020 R/2020/145
The adhesive bond between the sunroof and the vehicle body does not meet specification
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A small number of vehicles may have an adhesive bond between the sunroof and the vehicle body which does not meet the specification.
- Remedy
- The sunroof glass or sunroof assembly will be replaced.
Other Bentley models
The most-tested Bentley models in 2025, against the Continental's 91.7% MOT pass rate.
Bentley Continental FAQs
How many Bentley Continentals are there in the UK?
14,126 Bentley Continentals were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 3,134 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Bentley Continental 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 91.7% first-time pass rate for the Bentley Continental across 14,754 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Bentley Continental had any recalls?
16 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Bentley Continental. The most recent was published in June 2026. 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 Bentley Continental?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. 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 a Bentley Continental'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 Continental?
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 Bentley history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Bentley 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.