Abarth 595 MOT pass rate & common failures
92,160 MOT tests on the Abarth 595 (1999–2023) give it an 85.8% pass rate. City cars of a similar age fail 11.8% of the time, so this is 2.4pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst 595 years
Ranked across 595 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2022 cars pass 94.1% of the time while 2013 cars manage 78.1%, a 16.0-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (5.1%) and tyres (5.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, shock absorbers and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 2,561 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.2% once past 120-150k — 3.1× the risk.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 21.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every 595 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 33 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 1,073 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 3,057 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 3,275 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 9,858 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 17,368 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 17,847 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 20,128 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 10,254 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 4,937 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 3,217 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 1,103 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 5.1% | 4,690 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.0% | 4,582 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 3,961 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.1% | 2,882 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.0% | 2,803 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.7% | 1,591 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 730 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.4% | 328 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 2,561 |
| 2 | Shock absorbers | 2,328 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,163 |
| 4 | Washers | 1,769 |
| 5 | Wipers | 1,668 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 1,338 |
| 7 | Brake discs | 1,325 |
| 8 | Coil spring | 1,176 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 21.3% | 19,638 |
| 2 | Tyres | 20.5% | 18,922 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.5% | 14,278 |
| 4 | Other defects | 4.4% | 4,073 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.8% | 2,584 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.4% | 2,240 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 41,747 | 9.7% |
| 30-60k | 39,948 | 16.9% |
| 60-90k | 9,204 | 21.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,111 | 23.9% |
| 120-150k | 106 | 30.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 14,718 | 12.5% |
| 2022 | 17,222 | 13.5% |
| 2023 | 18,811 | 14.1% |
| 2024 | 20,162 | 15.1% |
| 2025 | 21,247 | 15.1% |
What to check before buying a Abarth 595
- Suspension (5.1% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (5.0% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (4.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Abarth 595?
85.8% of the 92,160 Abarth 595 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.2% fail rate, across model years 1999–2023.
What does the Abarth 595 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 5.1% of tests, then tyres (5.0%).
Which 595 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 94.1% and 2013 the weakest at 78.1%, from 1,103 and 3,057 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 595 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.2% for 120-150k, a 20.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 92,160 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.