2017 Fiat Doblo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 15,856 MOT tests, the 2017 Fiat Doblo recorded a 79.6% pass rate. Against vans of a similar age (17.8% fail rate), the 2017 Doblo comes out 2.7pp worse. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 10.8% of tests against 6.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, pins and bushes and malfunction indicator lamp — coil spring alone was recorded 1,059 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 26.3% once past 150k — 2.1× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 14.0% fail against 21.3% for diesel, a 7.3-point gap across 15,856 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 16.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 10.8% | 1,720 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 1,035 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.9% | 942 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 713 |
| 5 | Brakes | 4.2% | 670 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.5% | 550 |
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 | 1,059 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 553 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 499 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 474 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 467 |
| 6 | Washers | 309 |
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 | 23.0% | 3,654 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.8% | 2,036 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.2% | 1,941 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.7% | 1,057 |
| 5 | Other defects | 5.6% | 882 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.6% | 728 |
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 | 2,868 | 12.3% |
| 30-60k | 5,318 | 19.5% |
| 60-90k | 4,311 | 23.4% |
| 90-120k | 2,180 | 25.4% |
| 120-150k | 788 | 23.2% |
| 150k+ | 391 | 26.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 13,896 | 21.3% |
| Petrol | 1,960 | 14.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,164 | 16.4% |
| 2022 | 3,214 | 18.9% |
| 2023 | 3,225 | 21.2% |
| 2024 | 3,173 | 22.7% |
| 2025 | 3,080 | 23.1% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Doblo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 10.8% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (10.8% 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 (6.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.9% 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 2017 Fiat Doblos pass their MOT?
79.6% of the 15,856 2017 Fiat Doblo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Fiat Doblo?
Suspension, recorded in 10.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.5%).
Does the 2017 Doblo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 12.3% in the 0-30k band to 26.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 15,856 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.