Fiat Panda MOT failure rate and common faults
82,439 Fiat Panda cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 35.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 33.7% of the time, which makes the Fiat Panda 5% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
35.5%
failed first time
82,439 MOT tests in 2025
+5%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 33.7%
145 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
117.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 120.0
What fails on a Fiat Panda 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 Panda MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 51.4 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 46.0 |
| Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush | Suspension | 40.8 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 38.1 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 37.6 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 34.5 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 31.4 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 29.6 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 28.0 |
| Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 24.4 |
Fiat Panda 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 | 727 | 10.3% | 11.4% | 17,500 |
| 2021 | 1,129 | 14.9% | 12.8% | 22,200 |
| 2020 | 1,776 | 16.7% | 14.1% | 24,800 |
| 2019 | 2,549 | 18.9% | 16.5% | 29,900 |
| 2018 | 2,659 | 21.2% | 19.1% | 34,400 |
| 2017 | 3,491 | 24.2% | 21.8% | 40,100 |
| 2016 | 4,792 | 26.6% | 25.1% | 45,500 |
| 2015 | 7,862 | 30.2% | 28.1% | 52,900 |
| 2014 | 7,854 | 32.0% | 31.4% | 59,400 |
| 2013 | 7,272 | 34.3% | 34.3% | 64,200 |
| 2012 | 6,164 | 35.9% | 36.6% | 65,600 |
| 2011 | 5,039 | 42.0% | 38.8% | 68,000 |
| 2010 | 8,116 | 42.7% | 40.7% | 72,000 |
| 2009 | 9,012 | 43.3% | 41.8% | 72,700 |
| 2008 | 4,099 | 46.8% | 42.9% | 79,200 |
| 2007 | 4,259 | 46.5% | 42.7% | 81,300 |
| 2006 | 3,204 | 46.2% | 43.0% | 81,800 |
| 2005 | 2,435 | 46.6% | 42.4% | 82,500 |
Advisories to look for in a Fiat Panda'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 Panda, 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 edge312.3
- Coil spring: corroded241.2
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing139.8
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened126.0
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement120.4
- Shock absorbers: has a slightly worn bush70.0
Checking a used Fiat Panda before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Fiat Panda fails more often than average on suspension, windscreen, wipers and mirrors and engine, emissions and leaks. 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.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
Look for chips or cracks in the driver's line of sight, and test the wipers and washers. Windscreen damage in the swept area is an MOT failure.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
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 Panda cars tested: Petrol 94%, Diesel 6%. Average age at test 12.7 years, average recorded mileage 61,600.
Fiat Panda MOT questions
What is the Fiat Panda MOT failure rate?
35.5% of Fiat Panda cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 82,439 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 33.7% of the time, so the Fiat Panda was 5% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Fiat Panda MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 273 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 51.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Fiat Panda year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2012 registrations did best: 35.9% failed against an average of 36.6% 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 Panda will pass?
No. These are averages across every Fiat Panda 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 Ducato22.5% failed
- Fiat Punto45.0% failed
- Fiat Doblo36.5% failed
- Fiat 500X27.3% failed
- Fiat 500L38.8% failed
Ranked close to the Fiat Panda
- Kia Riorank 142
- Mazda 3rank 143
- Vauxhall Astrarank 144
- Kia Sorentorank 146
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 Panda cars 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.