Alfa Romeo 147 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 27 model years and 16,228 tests, the Alfa Romeo 147 passes its MOT 70.8% of the time. That is 2.2 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 27.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst 147 years
Ranked across 147 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
The strongest year on this record is 2003 (74.5% pass rate); the weakest is 2006 (68.4%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (14.8%) and suspension (14.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, headlamp aim and washers — pins and bushes alone was recorded 1,272 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 16.1% in the 0-30k band and 34.9% in the 150k+ band, a 18.9-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 4.8pp more often than petrol ones (32.2% vs 27.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 35.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 29.8% in 2021 to 27.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 147 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 445 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 1,230 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 1,772 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 1,580 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,700 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 1,985 | 68.4% | 31.6% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 2,720 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 3,251 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 1,459 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.8% | 2,408 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.5% | 2,358 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.7% | 1,730 |
| 4 | Visibility | 7.9% | 1,280 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.6% | 1,231 |
| 6 | Tyres | 6.0% | 982 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 4.5% | 728 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 4.3% | 697 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 1,272 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,172 |
| 3 | Washers | 1,070 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 772 |
| 5 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 717 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 701 |
| 7 | Ball joint | 650 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 551 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 35.9% | 5,826 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.6% | 4,473 |
| 3 | Brakes | 27.4% | 4,449 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 18.0% | 2,928 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 13.4% | 2,180 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.6% | 1,727 |
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 | 243 | 16.1% |
| 30-60k | 2,216 | 21.7% |
| 60-90k | 4,807 | 26.8% |
| 90-120k | 5,175 | 31.4% |
| 120-150k | 2,585 | 34.4% |
| 150k+ | 1,194 | 34.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 10,206 | 27.4% |
| Diesel | 6,022 | 32.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,021 | 29.8% |
| 2022 | 3,918 | 29.4% |
| 2023 | 3,075 | 29.0% |
| 2024 | 2,362 | 29.3% |
| 2025 | 1,852 | 27.5% |
What to check before buying a Alfa Romeo 147
- Lighting & signalling (14.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (14.5% 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.
- Brakes (10.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 Alfa Romeo 147?
70.8% of the 16,228 Alfa Romeo 147 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 29.2% fail rate, across model years 1995–2021.
What does the Alfa Romeo 147 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.8% of tests, then suspension (14.5%).
Which 147 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2003 has the best pass rate at 74.5% and 2006 the weakest at 68.4%, from 1,772 and 1,985 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 147 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.9% for 150k+, a 18.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 147 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 27.4% of the time against 32.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 16,228 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.