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Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

Free Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 car check

Is the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 reliable? We analysed 1,463 real MOT tests across 142 vehicles to find out.

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Data last updated: · Based on 1,463 real MOT tests
MOT Pass Rate
78.1%
Typical Mileage
81,935mi
Annual Mileage
444mi/yr
Est. Lifespan
49yrs

The Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 is above average for reliability based on real UK MOT data. Common problems include parking brake: efficiency below requirements, windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid and windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively. Here's everything you need to know before buying a used Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11.

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Number Plates

Number plates registered to a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11. Click on any registration for full vehicle details — including MOT history, mileage records, previous owners and damage history.

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 MOT Pass Rate by Year

How likely is a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 to pass its MOT? Here's the pass rate for each registration year, newest first.

85.5%
1981
79.6%
1980
78.1%
1979
77.5%
1978
76.9%
1977

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Problems — What Goes Wrong?

The most common reasons a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 fails its MOT, ranked by how often they occur. Check for these problems before you buy.

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 75
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 55
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 36
parking brake recording little or no effort 36
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive 32
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases 28
Brake pipe excessively corroded 22
Parking brake lever has no reserve travel 21
brake binding 21
Headlamp not working on dipped beam 20

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Mileage — What's Normal?

How many miles does a typical Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 owner drive per year? Use this to check if a car you're looking at has suspiciously low or high mileage.

Low usage
144 mi/yr
Typical
444 mi/yr
Average
853 mi/yr
Heavy usage
1,066 mi/yr

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 MOT Data by Registration Year

Full breakdown of pass rate and mileage for each year. Use this to compare the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 year you're looking at.

Year Tests Pass Rate Low Mi. Typical Mi. High Mi.
1981 55 85.5% 39,195 59,209 105,107
1980 421 79.6% 49,126 77,196 95,910
1979 269 78.1% 68,073 87,170 106,186
1978 449 77.5% 71,015 89,839 111,828
1977 212 76.9% 49,782 78,872 106,482

How Long Does a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Last?

Based on 142 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 vehicles on UK roads.

Average
36.6 years
Median
38.0 years
Estimated max lifespan
49 years

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Mileage Distribution

Total mileage recorded across all Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 MOT tests. If the car you're looking at is above the 75th percentile, it's done more miles than most.

Median
81,935 mi
75th Percentile
104,019 mi
95th Percentile
150,604 mi
Max Recorded
468,981 mi

Best Year to Buy a Used Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11

Based on MOT pass rates across all registration years with sufficient test data.

Best year
1981

85.5% MOT pass rate from 55 tests

Year to avoid
1977

76.9% MOT pass rate from 212 tests

The best year to buy a used Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 is 1981, which has the highest MOT pass rate at 85.5% across 55 tests. The 1977 model year has the lowest pass rate at 76.9% — if you're looking at one from that year, budget for potential repairs and get a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

How Does the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 Compare?

MOT pass rates compared to similar models. Click any model for the full breakdown.

Model Pass Rate Tests Typical Mileage Lifespan
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 THIS CAR 78.1% 1,463 81,935 mi 49 yrs
Rolls Royce Silver Spirit 79.1% 34,506 71,622 mi 47 yrs
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 80.3% 16,278 62,466 mi 59 yrs
Rolls Royce Phantom 93.4% 14,291 29,293 mi 55 yrs
Tgb 302 78.8% 1,323 9,947 mi 24 yrs

Compared to the Rolls Royce Silver Spirit (79.1% pass rate) and the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow (80.3% pass rate), the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 trails behind on MOT reliability.

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Should you buy a used Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11?

The Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 has an overall MOT pass rate of 78.1% across 1,463 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

The most common problems on the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 are parking brake: efficiency below requirements (75 recorded failures), windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (55), and windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (36). These are the faults most likely to cause an MOT failure on this model, so check for them carefully on any test drive or pre-purchase inspection. Many are wear-and-tear items that can be budgeted for, but a car that's already failing on multiple fronts may signal neglected maintenance.

A typical Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 owner drives around 444 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

In terms of longevity, most Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 models stay on UK roads for around 49 years — a strong showing that suggests solid build quality and readily available parts. If you're buying one that's already approaching that window, the data suggests it has plenty of life left provided it's been maintained.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.

Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 — Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 reliable?
Based on 1,463 MOT tests, the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 has a 78.1% pass rate — above the UK average, suggesting good reliability.
What are the common problems on a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11?
The most common MOT failures are parking brake: efficiency below requirements, windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid, and windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively. Check these on any test drive.
How many miles does a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 do per year?
The typical Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 does around 444 miles per year. Anything significantly above or below this is worth investigating.
How long does a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 last?
Most Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 models stay on UK roads for around 49 years based on our analysis of 142 vehicles.
Should I get a vehicle check before buying a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11?
Yes. An MOT pass rate tells you about the model in general, but a vehicle history check reveals the specific car's finance, stolen, write-off and mileage history — things the seller may not disclose.
What is the best year to buy a Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11?
Based on MOT pass rates, the best year to buy a used Rolls Royce Silver Shadow 11 is 1981 with a 85.5% pass rate across 55 tests.