2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 11,346 MOT tests, the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia recorded an 86.7% pass rate. That is 1.7 percentage points worse than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 11.6%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (6.9%) and lighting & signalling (5.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 609 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 10.4% in the 0-30k band and 17.8% in the 120-150k band, a 7.4-point spread.
The petrol cars hold up better: 12.0% fail against 15.5% for diesel, a 3.4-point gap across 11,346 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.9% | 781 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.4% | 610 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.4% | 277 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 148 |
| 5 | Visibility | 0.7% | 74 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.6% | 72 |
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 | 609 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 455 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 220 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 126 |
| 5 | Brake discs | 100 |
| 6 | Registration plates | 89 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 21.4% | 2,434 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.4% | 2,314 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.2% | 471 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.6% | 404 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.9% | 220 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 116 |
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 | 2,504 | 10.4% |
| 30-60k | 5,552 | 13.5% |
| 60-90k | 2,487 | 14.4% |
| 90-120k | 671 | 17.4% |
| 120-150k | 107 | 17.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 7,328 | 12.0% |
| Diesel | 4,018 | 15.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,314 | 12.3% |
| 2022 | 2,346 | 14.4% |
| 2023 | 2,300 | 14.0% |
| 2024 | 2,237 | 13.1% |
| 2025 | 2,149 | 12.5% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Giulia
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 6.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (6.9% 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 (5.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.4% 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
How many 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulias pass their MOT?
86.7% of the 11,346 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia?
Tyres, recorded in 6.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.4%).
Does the 2017 Giulia get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.4% in the 0-30k band to 17.8% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 11,346 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.