Fiat Ducato-Motorhome MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 35 model years and 3,302 tests, the Fiat Ducato-Motorhome passes its MOT 79.6% of the time. That is 5.4 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.8%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.6% of all tests — 4.2 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, service brake performance and wipers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 161 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 34.0% versus 12.5%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 19.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 19.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Ducato-Motorhome model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 46 | 60.9% | 39.1% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 53 | 66.0% | 34.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 98 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 180 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 150 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 207 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 270 | 80.7% | 19.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 325 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 336 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 219 | 77.2% | 22.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 321 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 245 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 200 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 120 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 102 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 135 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 32 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 38 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 31 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.6% | 415 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.4% | 276 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.6% | 186 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.4% | 177 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.1% | 167 |
| 6 | Tyres | 1.8% | 60 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 58 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.3% | 43 |
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 | 161 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 157 |
| 3 | Wipers | 139 |
| 4 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 124 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 99 |
| 6 | Outline marker lamp | 98 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 96 |
| 8 | Chassis condition | 78 |
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 | 19.3% | 638 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.0% | 626 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 13.4% | 441 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.1% | 434 |
| 5 | Tyres | 12.4% | 408 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.0% | 198 |
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 | 632 | 12.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,647 | 19.6% |
| 60-90k | 661 | 26.0% |
| 90-120k | 238 | 28.6% |
| 120-150k | 69 | 20.3% |
| 150k+ | 53 | 34.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 631 | 19.2% |
| 2022 | 669 | 19.0% |
| 2023 | 661 | 20.6% |
| 2024 | 677 | 21.6% |
| 2025 | 664 | 21.8% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Ducato-Motorhome
- Lighting & signalling (12.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.4% 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.
- Suspension (5.6% 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.
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 Ducato-Motorhome?
79.6% of the 3,302 Fiat Ducato-Motorhome MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.4% fail rate, across model years 1986–2020.
What does the Fiat Ducato-Motorhome most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.6% of tests, then brakes (8.4%).
How much does mileage affect Ducato-Motorhome MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 34.0% for 150k+, a 21.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,302 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.