2018 Alfa Romeo Giulietta — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulietta passed 88.1% of its 4,732 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (10.4% fail rate), the 2018 Giulietta comes out 1.5pp worse. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.9%) and visibility (3.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are washers, headlamp aim and tread depth — washers alone was recorded 119 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.4% versus 8.9%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 11.8% of the time against 12.2% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.9% | 278 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.3% | 155 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.1% | 148 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.2% | 105 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.6% | 75 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 36 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washers | 119 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 95 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 90 |
| 4 | Wipers | 55 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 44 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 38 |
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 | 23.1% | 1,093 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.7% | 599 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.2% | 244 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.0% | 189 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.8% | 85 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.3% | 61 |
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 | 1,913 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 2,168 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 550 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 88 | 20.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,662 | 11.8% |
| Diesel | 1,070 | 12.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 917 | 9.0% |
| 2022 | 948 | 10.9% |
| 2023 | 947 | 11.7% |
| 2024 | 937 | 12.5% |
| 2025 | 983 | 15.2% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Giulietta
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.9% 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.
- Visibility (3.3% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.1% 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 2018 Alfa Romeo Giuliettas pass their MOT?
88.1% of the 4,732 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulietta MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulietta?
Tyres, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by visibility (3.3%).
Does the 2018 Giulietta get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.9% in the 0-30k band to 20.4% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,732 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.