2017 Alfa Romeo Giulietta — MOT failures & pass rate
8,660 MOT tests on the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulietta are in this dataset, and 87.6% of them passed. Small family cars of a similar age fail at 11.9%, so the 2017 Giulietta sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.8%) and lighting & signalling (3.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are washers, tread depth and headlamp aim — washers alone was recorded 253 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.9% versus 8.6%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.4pp more often than petrol ones (13.8% vs 11.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 9.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.8% | 502 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 325 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.6% | 308 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 227 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 147 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 127 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washers | 253 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 204 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 148 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 128 |
| 5 | Side repeaters | 124 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 112 |
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 | 24.8% | 2,147 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.3% | 1,324 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.9% | 598 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.5% | 473 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.0% | 174 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 162 |
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 | 2,120 | 8.6% |
| 30-60k | 4,269 | 12.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,794 | 15.0% |
| 90-120k | 387 | 19.6% |
| 120-150k | 78 | 26.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,143 | 11.4% |
| Diesel | 3,517 | 13.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,702 | 9.4% |
| 2022 | 1,695 | 10.6% |
| 2023 | 1,746 | 12.9% |
| 2024 | 1,739 | 13.1% |
| 2025 | 1,778 | 15.5% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Giulietta
On a 2017 Giulietta, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (5.8% 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 (3.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.6% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£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 2017 Alfa Romeo Giuliettas pass their MOT?
87.6% of the 8,660 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulietta MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulietta?
Tyres, recorded in 5.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.8%).
Does the 2017 Giulietta get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.6% in the 0-30k band to 26.9% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,660 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.