Alfa Romeo Spider MOT pass rate & common failures
The Alfa Romeo Spider appears in 20,741 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2021, and 77.0% of them passed. That is 2.6 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.6%. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst Spider years
Ranked across Spider 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 — 80.1% of 2008 examples pass against 70.8% of 2000 ones.
No single area dominates — brakes (10.5%) and lighting & signalling (8.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), service brake performance and catalyst emissions — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 1,207 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 33.6% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 22.6% of the time against 23.0% for petrol.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 26.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.7% in 2021 to 21.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Spider model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 69 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 139 | 81.3% | 18.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 143 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 119 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 181 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 435 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 488 | 81.3% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 649 | 79.3% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 338 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 156 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 37 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 1995 | 55 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Brakes |
| 1996 | 683 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 1,210 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 1,255 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Brakes |
| 1999 | 1,538 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Brakes |
| 2000 | 1,166 | 70.8% | 29.3% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 1,586 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Brakes |
| 2002 | 746 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 608 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 385 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 368 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 67 | 88.1% | 11.9% | Tyres |
| 2007 | 3,272 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 3,432 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 743 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 587 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 137 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 10.5% | 2,172 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.3% | 1,726 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.0% | 1,661 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.3% | 1,107 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.9% | 1,022 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.6% | 950 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.4% | 694 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.4% | 488 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 1,207 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 1,200 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 909 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 664 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 659 |
| 6 | Washers | 585 |
| 7 | Wipers | 578 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 437 |
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 | 26.4% | 5,471 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.2% | 4,607 |
| 3 | Tyres | 19.4% | 4,017 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 12.7% | 2,628 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.3% | 2,346 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 1,198 |
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 | 1,323 | 13.8% |
| 30-60k | 5,156 | 18.1% |
| 60-90k | 7,716 | 23.5% |
| 90-120k | 4,525 | 27.2% |
| 120-150k | 1,416 | 28.3% |
| 150k+ | 527 | 33.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 19,193 | 23.0% |
| Diesel | 1,544 | 22.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,669 | 24.7% |
| 2022 | 4,413 | 22.6% |
| 2023 | 4,224 | 22.9% |
| 2024 | 3,796 | 22.6% |
| 2025 | 3,639 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a Alfa Romeo Spider
- Brakes (10.5% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (8.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.0% 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.
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 Spider?
77.0% of the 20,741 Alfa Romeo Spider MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.0% fail rate, across model years 1980–2021.
What does the Alfa Romeo Spider most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 10.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (8.3%).
Which Spider years are best and worst for MOT results?
2008 has the best pass rate at 80.1% and 2000 the weakest at 70.8%, from 3,432 and 1,166 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Spider MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.6% for 150k+, a 19.8-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Spider more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 22.6% of the time against 23.0% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,741 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.