Alfa Romeo 156 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Alfa Romeo 156 appears in 9,287 MOT tests spanning model years 1997–2021, and 72.0% of them passed. Executive cars of a similar age fail 24.0% of the time, so this is 4.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and body, structure & corrosion.
Best and worst 156 years
Ranked across 156 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: 2001 cars pass 73.9% of the time while 2005 cars manage 69.2%, a 4.8-point spread.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 17.2% of all tests — 5.6 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and catalyst emissions — headlamp aim alone was recorded 969 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 34.3% versus 14.5%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 4.8pp more often than petrol ones (31.8% vs 26.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 33.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 29.9% in 2021 to 25.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every 156 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 309 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 458 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 822 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 1,120 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 1,358 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 1,778 | 72.8% | 27.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 1,636 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,369 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 162 | 77.2% | 22.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 184 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 47 | 80.8% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 17.2% | 1,594 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.6% | 1,075 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.1% | 848 |
| 4 | Brakes | 9.0% | 838 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 8.0% | 744 |
| 6 | Visibility | 7.3% | 677 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 5.2% | 482 |
| 8 | Tyres | 4.6% | 426 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 969 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 566 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 512 |
| 4 | Washers | 435 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 434 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 417 |
| 7 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 411 |
| 8 | Prescribed areas | 339 |
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 | 33.3% | 3,091 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.8% | 2,398 |
| 3 | Tyres | 21.5% | 2,000 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 19.0% | 1,766 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 15.0% | 1,395 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 12.4% | 1,153 |
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 | 124 | 14.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,227 | 21.4% |
| 60-90k | 2,336 | 24.4% |
| 90-120k | 2,598 | 29.7% |
| 120-150k | 1,731 | 31.5% |
| 150k+ | 1,249 | 34.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 7,193 | 26.9% |
| Diesel | 2,094 | 31.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,642 | 29.9% |
| 2022 | 2,128 | 28.3% |
| 2023 | 1,782 | 27.6% |
| 2024 | 1,501 | 26.9% |
| 2025 | 1,234 | 25.4% |
What to check before buying a Alfa Romeo 156
- Lighting & signalling (17.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.6% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (9.1% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 156?
72.0% of the 9,287 Alfa Romeo 156 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.0% fail rate, across model years 1997–2021.
What does the Alfa Romeo 156 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 17.2% of tests, then suspension (11.6%).
Which 156 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2001 has the best pass rate at 73.9% and 2005 the weakest at 69.2%, from 1,120 and 1,369 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect 156 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.3% for 150k+, a 19.8-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel 156 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 26.9% of the time against 31.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 9,287 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.