2007 Alfa Romeo Spider — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2007 Alfa Romeo Spider passed 77.8% of its 3,272 recorded MOT tests. That is 4.7 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 26.9%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 11.1% of all tests — 3.6 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, rbt (sp) and service brake performance — coil spring alone was recorded 251 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.9% versus 10.7%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.9pp more often than petrol ones (25.3% vs 21.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 25.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.9% in 2021 to 21.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.1% | 363 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 245 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.9% | 227 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.4% | 143 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.0% | 130 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.9% | 94 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 251 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 124 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 102 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 99 |
| 5 | Ball joint | 96 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 80 |
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 | 25.6% | 838 |
| 2 | Suspension | 22.4% | 734 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.4% | 667 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.7% | 284 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 8.0% | 262 |
| 6 | Other defects | 6.1% | 200 |
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 | 205 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 989 | 17.8% |
| 60-90k | 1,289 | 23.6% |
| 90-120k | 586 | 28.0% |
| 120-150k | 148 | 30.4% |
| 150k+ | 54 | 25.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,624 | 21.4% |
| Diesel | 648 | 25.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 768 | 24.9% |
| 2022 | 702 | 22.2% |
| 2023 | 634 | 18.4% |
| 2024 | 620 | 23.5% |
| 2025 | 548 | 21.0% |
What to check before buying a 2007 Spider
On a 2007 Spider, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 11.1% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (11.1% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (7.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.9% 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.
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 2007 Alfa Romeo Spiders pass their MOT?
77.8% of the 3,272 2007 Alfa Romeo Spider MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2007 Alfa Romeo Spider?
Suspension, recorded in 11.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (7.5%).
Does the 2007 Spider get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.7% in the 0-30k band to 25.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,272 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.