Renault Twingo, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
21,593 Renault Twingos are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 61.4% of initial MOT tests, 10.9 points below the 72.3% UK average.
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Renault Twingo at the MOT
61.4% of 23,745 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Twingo 476th of 575 models. Renault Twingos aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 54.3%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Renault Twingo tests in 2025.
Where Twingos fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Renault Twingo tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (8.3%), ball joint excessively worn (6.2%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.3%).
The MOT page lists every common Twingo MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Twingo's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.27.7% of Twingo 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.21.1% of Twingo 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.12.4% of Twingo failure items
Renault Twingos in the UK
21,593 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 12% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 28,077 at the end of 2017.
- Change since 2014
- +12%from 19,230 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
- 13against 5,507 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 1,6687.2% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Renault Twingos since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 19,230 |
| End of 2015 | 24,091 |
| End of 2016 | 26,879 |
| End of 2017 | 28,077 |
| End of 2018 | 28,058 |
| End of 2019 | 27,874 |
| End of 2020 | 27,310 |
| End of 2021 | 26,723 |
| End of 2022 | 26,026 |
| End of 2023 | 25,006 |
| End of 2024 | 23,730 |
| End of 2025 | 22,424 |
| End of June 2026 | 21,593 |
How old they are
Licensed Renault Twingos by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 220 | 238 |
| 2018 | 790 | 846 |
| 2017 | 1,389 | 1,493 |
| 2016 | 2,898 | 3,205 |
| 2015 | 4,885 | 5,507 |
| 2014 | 869 | |
| 2013 | 900 | |
| 2012 | 1,197 | |
| 2011 | 2,184 | |
| 2010 | 3,402 | |
| 2009 | 1,296 | |
| 2008 | 2,022 | |
| 2007 | 310 |
4,885 Twingos first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 89% of the 5,507 first registered that year.
Twingo engine sizes
1.2 litre engines made up 49% of Renault Twingo MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.0 litre at 31%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed Twingos.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 23,742 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Renault Twingo recalls
11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Renault Twingo. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Twingo is affected.
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Nov 2017 R/2017/313
Risk of degradation to the front left sub axle carrier
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Depending on driving style and road profile there is a risk of degradation of the front left sub axle carrier.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and checking the front left stub axle carrier casting number Where necessary replace the stub axle carrier.
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May 2017 R/2017/136
Outer skin of rear spoiler and bonnet may detach
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Operations 1) or 2) or operations 1) and 2) could be required: 1) The upper part of the bonnet (the bonnet skin) may detach from the rest of the bonnet due to poor adhesive being applied at the factory and deterioration over time. There would be no obvious signs to the customer. 2) The outer part (skin) of the rear spoiler may detach from the vehicle and /or the pins on the glass tailgate. There would be no warning to the customer.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and add re-enforcement to the spoiler and/or bonnet or both as required.
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May 2017 R/2017/135
Outer skin of rear spoiler may detach
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The outer part (skin) of the rear spoiler may detach from the vehicle and /or the pins on the glass tailgate. There would be no warning to the customer. However the possibility of detachment is increased due to the use of car washes.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and fit additional re-enforcement to the spoiler and bonnet.
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Jun 2015 R/2015/132
Possibility of loss of control
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The front shock absorber (strut) mounting for the anti-roll bar rod may not be welded correctly. If the welding should fail there will initially be noise leading to the possibility for adversely affected vehicle handling because the anti-roll bar will no longer be connected the risk of contact and damage to the wheel rim tyre brake hose and ABS cable.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and check the shocker absorber (strut) build dates. The shock absorber that are in the affected range will be replaced.
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Mar 2015 R/2015/075
Risk of unintended acceleration
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to an error in the engine ECU software it is possible that the vehicle will suffer an unintended acceleration or not able to decelerate. The driver should still be able to control the vehicle by applying the brakes and manipulating the clutch and gears.
- Remedy
- Recall all affected vehicles to reprogram the engine ECU with new software.
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Mar 2015 R/2015/065
Seatbelts may malfunction in a collision
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to an error in the manufacturing process the seat belt buckle may not retain the belt during a frontal impact.
- Remedy
- On affected vehicles check build date of seat belt assembly and replace if necessary.
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Mar 2015 R/2014/179
Seatbelt buckle may not hold seatbelt tongue
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Seat belt tongue may not hold in the buckle sufficiently. In a collision the tongue may separate from the buckle putting the occupant of the affected belt at risk.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the seatbelt buckle on the passenger side (x 75) and driver side (x6).
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Oct 2009 R/2009/093
Drivers seat may not lock safely
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It has been identified that the driver's seat may suffer permanent or intermittent non-locking on it's runners. This can occur when the vehicle is stationary or when being driven.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have a latch fitted to the seat's locking device.
Other Renault models
The most-tested Renault models in 2025, against the Twingo's 61.4% MOT pass rate.
Renault Twingo FAQs
How many Renault Twingos are there in the UK?
21,593 Renault Twingos were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,668 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Renault Twingo 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 61.4% first-time pass rate for the Renault Twingo across 23,745 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Renault Twingo had any recalls?
11 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Renault Twingo. The most recent was published in November 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 Renault Twingo?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, 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 Renault Twingo'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 Twingo?
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.