Fiat Bravo MOT pass rate & common failures
44,819 MOT tests on the Fiat Bravo (1996–2021) give it a 68.9% pass rate. That is 5.9 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.1%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Bravo years
Ranked across Bravo years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2012 cars pass 73.6% of the time while 2008 cars manage 67.6%, a 5.9-point spread.
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 16.4% of tests against 12.4% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, exhaust system and washers — coil spring alone was recorded 3,907 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 17.7% in the 0-30k band and 33.4% in the 150k+ band, a 15.6-point spread.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 30.9% of the time against 31.1% for petrol.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 33.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Bravo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 48 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 38 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 52 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 88 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 158 | 62.7% | 37.3% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 10,238 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 13,356 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 10,241 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 4,608 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 2,893 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 1,762 | 73.6% | 26.5% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 911 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 374 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.4% | 7,356 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 12.4% | 5,578 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.0% | 4,497 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.0% | 4,045 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 7.0% | 3,156 |
| 6 | Tyres | 6.9% | 3,105 |
| 7 | Visibility | 6.3% | 2,826 |
| 8 | Steering | 4.4% | 1,957 |
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 | 3,907 |
| 2 | Exhaust system | 2,303 |
| 3 | Washers | 2,035 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,004 |
| 5 | Track rod end | 1,929 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 1,863 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 1,851 |
| 8 | Pins and bushes | 1,838 |
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 | 33.5% | 15,026 |
| 2 | Tyres | 31.0% | 13,914 |
| 3 | Brakes | 30.5% | 13,668 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 18.7% | 8,367 |
| 5 | Other defects | 15.4% | 6,926 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 14.8% | 6,628 |
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 | 559 | 17.7% |
| 30-60k | 5,026 | 23.4% |
| 60-90k | 14,861 | 30.3% |
| 90-120k | 15,722 | 33.0% |
| 120-150k | 6,482 | 34.4% |
| 150k+ | 2,147 | 33.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 28,668 | 31.1% |
| Diesel | 16,145 | 30.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,240 | 30.9% |
| 2022 | 10,816 | 30.7% |
| 2023 | 8,859 | 31.5% |
| 2024 | 6,814 | 31.1% |
| 2025 | 5,090 | 31.6% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Bravo
- Suspension (16.4% 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 (12.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.0% 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.
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 Bravo?
68.9% of the 44,819 Fiat Bravo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 31.1% fail rate, across model years 1996–2021.
What does the Fiat Bravo most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 16.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (12.4%).
Which Bravo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 73.6% and 2008 the weakest at 67.6%, from 1,762 and 13,356 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Bravo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 17.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.4% for 150k+, a 15.6-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Bravo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 30.9% of the time against 31.1% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 44,819 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.