2014 Alfa Romeo Giulietta — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulietta passed 80.6% of its 19,236 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.9 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 17.5%. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.7%) and tyres (7.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, tread depth and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 779 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.4% versus 11.0%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 17.3% fail against 21.8% for diesel, a 4.5-point gap across 19,236 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 15.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.7% | 1,479 |
| 2 | Tyres | 7.4% | 1,434 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 989 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.3% | 834 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.7% | 716 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.2% | 425 |
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 | 779 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 758 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 617 |
| 4 | Washers | 532 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 498 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 418 |
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 | 27.7% | 5,320 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.7% | 4,357 |
| 3 | Suspension | 17.0% | 3,261 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.4% | 1,418 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.9% | 755 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 659 |
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 | 774 | 11.0% |
| 30-60k | 5,788 | 15.5% |
| 60-90k | 7,383 | 19.9% |
| 90-120k | 3,745 | 23.2% |
| 120-150k | 1,141 | 27.1% |
| 150k+ | 405 | 25.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 10,349 | 17.3% |
| Diesel | 8,887 | 21.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,790 | 15.6% |
| 2022 | 3,833 | 17.7% |
| 2023 | 3,865 | 19.6% |
| 2024 | 3,856 | 21.0% |
| 2025 | 3,892 | 22.9% |
What to check before buying a 2014 Giulietta
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.7% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.7% 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 (7.4% 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 (5.1% 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
How many 2014 Alfa Romeo Giuliettas pass their MOT?
80.6% of the 19,236 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulietta MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulietta?
Suspension, recorded in 7.7% of tests, followed by tyres (7.4%).
Does the 2014 Giulietta get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.0% in the 0-30k band to 25.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 19,236 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.