2004 Alfa Romeo Spider — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2004 Alfa Romeo Spider passed 80.0% of its 385 recorded MOT tests. That is 7.7 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 27.7%. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.6%) and lighting & signalling (6.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, rbt (sp) and washers — joints alone was recorded 22 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2004 Spider fails 23.3% of the time in the 30-60k band and 20.8% at 90-120k, a spread of only 2.5 points.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 29.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 20.6% in 2021 to 12.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.6% | 33 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 25 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.5% | 25 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.2% | 20 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 18 |
| 6 | Suspension | 4.4% | 17 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 22 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 15 |
| 3 | Washers | 15 |
| 4 | Wipers | 14 |
| 5 | Catalyst emissions | 13 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 13 |
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 | 29.9% | 115 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.3% | 78 |
| 3 | Tyres | 15.8% | 61 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 10.7% | 41 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.1% | 31 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.4% | 17 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 133 | 23.3% |
| 60-90k | 168 | 18.4% |
| 90-120k | 48 | 20.8% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 92 | 20.6% |
| 2022 | 86 | 27.9% |
| 2023 | 76 | 19.7% |
| 2024 | 67 | 16.4% |
| 2025 | 64 | 12.5% |
What to check before buying a 2004 Spider
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.6% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.6% 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 (6.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Body, structure & corrosion (6.5% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 2004 Alfa Romeo Spiders pass their MOT?
80.0% of the 385 2004 Alfa Romeo Spider MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2004 Alfa Romeo Spider?
Brakes, recorded in 8.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.5%).
Does the 2004 Spider get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 23.3% in the 30-60k band to 20.8% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 385 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.