1991 Alfa Romeo Spider — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 649 MOT tests, the 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider recorded a 79.3% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 22.3% of the time, so this is 1.6pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (10.8%) and brakes (10.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, washers and headlamp aim — service brake performance alone was recorded 71 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 35.0% versus 18.4%.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 28.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 25.9% in 2021 to 17.9% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.8% | 70 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.5% | 68 |
| 3 | Visibility | 7.9% | 51 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.7% | 37 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.6% | 30 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 15 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 71 |
| 2 | Washers | 43 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 28 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 24 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 23 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 17 |
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 | 28.0% | 182 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 20.2% | 131 |
| 3 | Brakes | 12.6% | 82 |
| 4 | Steering | 10.6% | 69 |
| 5 | Tyres | 9.6% | 62 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.1% | 46 |
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 | 76 | 18.4% |
| 30-60k | 109 | 16.5% |
| 60-90k | 224 | 19.2% |
| 90-120k | 139 | 22.3% |
| 120-150k | 60 | 23.3% |
| 150k+ | 40 | 35.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 112 | 25.9% |
| 2022 | 144 | 20.1% |
| 2023 | 143 | 21.7% |
| 2024 | 127 | 18.1% |
| 2025 | 123 | 17.9% |
What to check before buying a 1991 Spider
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 10.8% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (10.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- 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.
- Visibility (7.9% 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 1991 Alfa Romeo Spiders pass their MOT?
79.3% of the 649 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.8% of tests, followed by brakes (10.5%).
Does the 1991 Spider get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 18.4% in the 0-30k band to 35.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 649 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.