Renault Modus, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
10,133 Renault Moduses are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 50% of initial MOT tests, 22.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Modus? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Renault Modus at the MOT
50% of 13,132 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Modus 572nd of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Moduses fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Renault Modus tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (8.8%), position lamp not working (7.3%) and track rod end ball joint has excessive play (5.2%).
The MOT page lists every common Modus MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Modus's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.35.6% of Modus failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.23% of Modus 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.13.7% of Modus failure items
Renault Moduses in the UK
10,133 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 70% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −70%from 33,418 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2008half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2008 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 2,12917% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Renault Moduses since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 33,418 |
| End of 2015 | 32,508 |
| End of 2016 | 31,379 |
| End of 2017 | 29,596 |
| End of 2018 | 27,494 |
| End of 2019 | 24,972 |
| End of 2020 | 22,585 |
| End of 2021 | 19,995 |
| End of 2022 | 17,762 |
| End of 2023 | 15,669 |
| End of 2024 | 13,465 |
| End of 2025 | 11,268 |
| End of June 2026 | 10,133 |
How old they are
Licensed Renault Moduses by year of first use.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 225 |
| 2011 | 1,921 |
| 2010 | 2,055 |
| 2009 | 1,219 |
| 2008 | 2,144 |
| 2007 | 1,332 |
| 2006 | 1,358 |
| 2005 | 1,575 |
| 2004 | 349 |
Modus engines and fuel
1.6 litre engines made up 31% of Renault Modus MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.5 litre at 29%. Petrol accounts for 69% of licensed Moduses and diesel for 31%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 13,128 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Moduses
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,948 | 69% |
| Diesel | 3,183 | 31% |
| Gas | 2 | <0.1% |
Renault Modus recalls
5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Renault Modus. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Modus is affected.
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Apr 2010 R/2010/038
Rear bench seat may jam
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The rear passengers may not be sufficiently restrained during an accident if the manually adjustable bench seat mechanism jams.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to fit a reinforcement bracket and a cable tie to the seat adjustment mechanism.
-
Oct 2007 R/2007/143
Front head restraint may not retain its position in the event of an impact
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that the possibility exists that the front seat head restraint components may have been incorrectly welded into position in the seat frame. This in certain cases can cause the sleeve to become loose to the seat frame. This has the potential to prevent the front seat head restraints retaining their position in the event of an impact.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the fabrication of the two front seat back frames checked. These will be replaced if found to be necessary.
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Apr 2007 R/2007/044
Stop light failure
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Under particular circumstances of use the potential exists for the stop light switch to melt due to overheating of the grease in the circuit switches with the potential for coking of the contacts. This can result in failure of the stop lights and overheating at the pedal floor or smoke in the passenger compartment.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the stop light switch replaced.
-
Jan 2006 R/2005/182
Gearbox may disengage from the park position
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to the possible non-conformity of the gearbox control there is a risk that the transmission may disengage from the parking position (without the footbrake having first been applied)
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the conformity of the gearbox control checked and replaced as necessary.
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May 2005 R/2005/050
Steering column assembly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A risk exists that the steering column intermediate shaft has been incorrectly fitted.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the position of the mounting yolk of the intermediate shaft checked and modified as necessary.
Other Renault models
The most-tested Renault models in 2025, against the Modus's 50% MOT pass rate.
Renault Modus FAQs
How many Renault Moduses are there in the UK?
10,133 Renault Moduses were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 2,129 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Renault Modus 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 50% first-time pass rate for the Renault Modus across 13,132 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Renault Modus had any recalls?
5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Renault Modus. The most recent was published in April 2010. 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 Renault Modus?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension 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 Renault Modus'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 Modus?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Renault history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Renault 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 October 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.