Fiat Doblo MOT failure rate and common faults
41,845 Fiat Doblo vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 36.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 30.4% of the time, which makes the Fiat Doblo 20% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
36.5%
failed first time
41,845 MOT tests in 2025
+20%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 30.4%
8 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
122.4
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 110.1
What fails on a Fiat Doblo MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Fiat Doblo MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 66.2 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 37.7 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 35.6 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 32.9 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 29.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 28.9 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 27.4 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 25.3 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 25.1 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 22.5 |
Fiat Doblo MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 697 | 23.4% | 11.4% | 47,600 |
| 2021 | 1,896 | 25.9% | 12.8% | 53,800 |
| 2020 | 1,208 | 30.4% | 14.1% | 54,200 |
| 2019 | 1,682 | 29.3% | 16.5% | 65,200 |
| 2018 | 1,980 | 29.1% | 19.1% | 67,700 |
| 2017 | 2,435 | 33.9% | 21.8% | 76,800 |
| 2016 | 3,348 | 36.3% | 25.1% | 88,000 |
| 2015 | 4,558 | 37.2% | 28.1% | 90,800 |
| 2014 | 5,384 | 39.7% | 31.4% | 92,300 |
| 2013 | 6,042 | 28.6% | 34.3% | 80,700 |
| 2012 | 1,919 | 42.4% | 36.6% | 101,500 |
| 2011 | 1,732 | 45.0% | 38.8% | 108,300 |
| 2010 | 1,630 | 42.2% | 40.7% | 103,200 |
| 2009 | 1,437 | 39.0% | 41.8% | 87,000 |
| 2008 | 1,750 | 43.7% | 42.9% | 100,200 |
| 2007 | 1,885 | 47.1% | 42.7% | 106,800 |
| 2006 | 1,378 | 47.4% | 43.0% | 110,700 |
| 2005 | 884 | 49.9% | 42.4% | 116,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Fiat Doblo's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Fiat Doblo, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge300.4
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing114.9
- Coil spring: corroded107.5
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened103.8
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive94.9
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement78.6
Checking a used Fiat Doblo before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Fiat Doblo fails more often than average on suspension, lights and electrics and tyres. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Fiat Doblo vans tested: Diesel 86%, Petrol 14%. Average age at test 11.3 years, average recorded mileage 86,800.
Fiat Doblo MOT questions
What is the Fiat Doblo MOT failure rate?
36.5% of Fiat Doblo vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 41,845 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 30.4% of the time, so the Fiat Doblo was 20% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Fiat Doblo MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 253 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 66.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Fiat Doblo year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2013 registrations did best: 28.6% failed against an average of 34.3% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Fiat Doblo will pass?
No. These are averages across every Fiat Doblo tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Fiat models
- Fiat 50032.2% failed
- Fiat Panda35.5% failed
- Fiat Ducato22.5% failed
- Fiat Punto45.0% failed
- Fiat 500X27.3% failed
- Fiat 500L38.8% failed
Ranked close to the Fiat Doblo
- Mitsubishi L200rank 5
- Mercedes-Benz Vitorank 6
- Toyota Hiluxrank 7
- Ford Transitrank 9
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Fiat Doblo vans of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.