Fiat Burstner MOT pass rate & common failures
4,259 MOT tests on the Fiat Burstner (2000–2023) give it a 92.6% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (13.6% fail rate), the Burstner comes out 6.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.1%) and visibility (3.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and outline marker lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 146 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.6% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.9% once past 60-90k — 4.3× the risk.
The trend is worsening — 5.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 7.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Burstner model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 48 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 52 | 78.8% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 72 | 79.2% | 20.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 32 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 46 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 57 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 88 | 86.4% | 13.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 50 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Visibility |
| 2015 | 171 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 543 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 1,185 | 93.8% | 6.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 762 | 94.9% | 5.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 459 | 95.6% | 4.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 319 | 94.7% | 5.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 235 | 96.6% | 3.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 215 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.1% | 133 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.2% | 93 |
| 4 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 43 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 33 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 32 |
| 7 | Tyres | 0.5% | 23 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 19 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 146 |
| 2 | Wipers | 128 |
| 3 | Outline marker lamp | 96 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 46 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 38 |
| 6 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 36 |
| 7 | Washers | 32 |
| 8 | Rear fog lamp | 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 | 6.8% | 288 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.4% | 143 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.9% | 122 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.4% | 102 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 93 |
| 6 | Other defects | 1.3% | 56 |
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 | 3,449 | 5.6% |
| 30-60k | 700 | 13.3% |
| 60-90k | 92 | 23.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 617 | 5.5% |
| 2022 | 764 | 7.7% |
| 2023 | 851 | 6.9% |
| 2024 | 991 | 8.3% |
| 2025 | 1,036 | 7.7% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Burstner
- Lighting & signalling (5.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.1% 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 (2.2% 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 Burstner?
92.6% of the 4,259 Fiat Burstner MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 7.4% fail rate, across model years 2000–2023.
What does the Fiat Burstner most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.1% of tests, then visibility (3.1%).
How much does mileage affect Burstner MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.9% for 60-90k, a 18.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 4,259 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.