2013 Fiat Bravo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2013 Fiat Bravo passed 73.9% of its 911 recorded MOT tests. That is 6.7 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 19.4%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 14.3% of tests against 9.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 105 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 22.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.2% once past 120-150k.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 30.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 22.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 28.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.3% | 130 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.3% | 85 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.2% | 56 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.5% | 50 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 43 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 29 |
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 | 105 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 35 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 31 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 30 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 29 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 27 |
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 | 30.2% | 275 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.2% | 257 |
| 3 | Brakes | 27.0% | 246 |
| 4 | Other defects | 17.6% | 160 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 7.9% | 72 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 6.9% | 63 |
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 | 50 | 22.0% |
| 30-60k | 227 | 21.1% |
| 60-90k | 328 | 25.9% |
| 90-120k | 185 | 30.8% |
| 120-150k | 96 | 30.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 581 | 26.2% |
| Petrol | 330 | 26.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 181 | 22.7% |
| 2022 | 194 | 26.8% |
| 2023 | 184 | 26.1% |
| 2024 | 182 | 26.4% |
| 2025 | 170 | 28.8% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Bravo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 14.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (14.3% 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 (9.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
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 2013 Fiat Bravos pass their MOT?
73.9% of the 911 2013 Fiat Bravo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 26.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Fiat Bravo?
Suspension, recorded in 14.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.3%).
Does the 2013 Bravo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 22.0% in the 0-30k band to 30.2% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 911 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.