Fiat Benimar MOT pass rate & common failures
2,801 MOT tests on the Fiat Benimar (1999–2022) give it a 94.4% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (11.3% fail rate), the Benimar comes out 5.7pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.3%) and visibility (3.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and outline marker lamp — wipers alone was recorded 107 times.
How it compares
By model year
Every Benimar model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 45 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Visibility |
| 2017 | 730 | 94.3% | 5.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 858 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 755 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 191 | 94.8% | 5.2% | Visibility |
| 2021 | 112 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 37 | 100.0% | 0.0% | - |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 119 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.3% | 91 |
| 3 | Brakes | 0.9% | 26 |
| 4 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 20 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.4% | 12 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 10 |
| 7 | Tyres | 0.3% | 9 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.3% | 8 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 107 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 52 |
| 3 | Outline marker lamp | 48 |
| 4 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 18 |
| 5 | Washers | 14 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 12 |
| 7 | Service brake performance | 11 |
| 8 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 10 |
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 | 5.3% | 149 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.4% | 96 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.7% | 75 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.1% | 60 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 33 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 28 |
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 | 2,619 | 5.3% |
| 30-60k | 159 | 10.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 334 | 5.1% |
| 2022 | 533 | 4.5% |
| 2023 | 610 | 5.6% |
| 2024 | 631 | 6.2% |
| 2025 | 693 | 6.3% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Benimar
- Lighting & signalling (4.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.3% 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.
- Brakes (0.9% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Fiat Benimar?
94.4% of the 2,801 Fiat Benimar MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 5.6% fail rate, across model years 1999–2022.
What does the Fiat Benimar most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.3% of tests, then visibility (3.3%).
Methodology & source. Based on 2,801 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.