1999 Fiat Barchetta — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1999 Fiat Barchetta passed 81.0% of its 415 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (26.1% fail rate), the 1999 Barchetta comes out 7.1pp better. Failures cluster in brakes, body, structure & corrosion and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.0%) and body, structure & corrosion (7.7%) 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 catalyst emissions — joints alone was recorded 20 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.5% versus 5.7%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 28.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 19.2% in 2021 to 15.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.0% | 33 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.7% | 32 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 31 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.8% | 20 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.6% | 19 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 14 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 20 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 19 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 14 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 13 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 13 |
| 6 | Rear fog lamp | 11 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 28.2% | 117 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.0% | 116 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.1% | 67 |
| 4 | Tyres | 13.5% | 56 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 9.9% | 41 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 25 |
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 | 35 | 5.7% |
| 30-60k | 121 | 15.7% |
| 60-90k | 134 | 21.6% |
| 90-120k | 80 | 22.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 99 | 19.2% |
| 2022 | 87 | 19.5% |
| 2023 | 83 | 19.3% |
| 2024 | 75 | 21.3% |
| 2025 | 71 | 15.5% |
What to check before buying a 1999 Barchetta
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.0% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (7.7% 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+.
- 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.
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 1999 Fiat Barchettas pass their MOT?
81.0% of the 415 1999 Fiat Barchetta MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1999 Fiat Barchetta?
Brakes, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by body, structure & corrosion (7.7%).
Does the 1999 Barchetta get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.7% in the 0-30k band to 22.5% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 415 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.