Alfa Romeo Brera MOT pass rate & common failures
12,158 MOT tests on the Alfa Romeo Brera (2005–2020) give it a 74.4% pass rate. That is effectively the same as all cars of a similar age (26.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Brera years
Ranked across Brera 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
Not every year is equal — 78.4% of 2009 examples pass against 71.0% of 2006 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (12.9%) and lighting & signalling (10.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, rbt (sp) and service brake performance — coil spring alone was recorded 1,076 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.2% in the 0-30k band and 33.5% in the 150k+ band, a 25.3-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 4.5pp more often than petrol ones (28.6% vs 24.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 27.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 26.9% in 2021 to 24.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Brera model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2,715 | 71.0% | 28.9% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 2,710 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 3,305 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 2,671 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 594 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 149 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.9% | 1,567 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.3% | 1,248 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.3% | 1,013 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.6% | 802 |
| 5 | Tyres | 5.3% | 642 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.4% | 534 |
| 7 | Visibility | 3.1% | 373 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.3% | 280 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 1,076 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 530 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 406 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 394 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 382 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 380 |
| 7 | Exhaust system | 363 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 354 |
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 | 27.3% | 3,319 |
| 2 | Tyres | 25.6% | 3,110 |
| 3 | Brakes | 23.1% | 2,813 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.0% | 1,586 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 12.4% | 1,505 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 1,043 |
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 | 207 | 8.2% |
| 30-60k | 1,650 | 17.0% |
| 60-90k | 4,203 | 24.6% |
| 90-120k | 3,635 | 28.2% |
| 120-150k | 1,758 | 29.2% |
| 150k+ | 698 | 33.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 8,137 | 24.1% |
| Diesel | 4,021 | 28.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,870 | 26.9% |
| 2022 | 2,718 | 26.0% |
| 2023 | 2,463 | 25.6% |
| 2024 | 2,142 | 24.8% |
| 2025 | 1,965 | 24.0% |
What to check before buying a Alfa Romeo Brera
- Suspension (12.9% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (10.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.3% 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 Brera?
74.4% of the 12,158 Alfa Romeo Brera MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 25.6% fail rate, across model years 2005–2020.
What does the Alfa Romeo Brera most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 12.9% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.3%).
Which Brera years are best and worst for MOT results?
2009 has the best pass rate at 78.4% and 2006 the weakest at 71.0%, from 2,671 and 2,715 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Brera MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.5% for 150k+, a 25.3-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Brera more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 24.1% of the time against 28.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,158 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.