2015 Fiat Ducato — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 15,512 MOT tests, the 2015 Fiat Ducato recorded an 89.1% pass rate. That is 10.4 percentage points better than vans of a similar age, which fail at 21.3%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.3%) and brakes (3.4%) 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 srs malfunction indicator lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 483 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.5% versus 7.0%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 10.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 12.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.3% | 973 |
| 2 | Brakes | 3.4% | 530 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.6% | 405 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.0% | 310 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.9% | 295 |
| 6 | Tyres | 1.2% | 191 |
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 | 483 |
| 2 | Wipers | 339 |
| 3 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 260 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 252 |
| 5 | Outline marker lamp | 219 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 172 |
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 | 10.3% | 1,605 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.1% | 1,101 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.9% | 918 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 3.7% | 578 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 550 |
| 6 | Other defects | 2.2% | 347 |
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 | 8,349 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 3,941 | 11.5% |
| 60-90k | 1,003 | 19.2% |
| 90-120k | 719 | 21.7% |
| 120-150k | 539 | 18.9% |
| 150k+ | 941 | 20.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,120 | 9.2% |
| 2022 | 3,090 | 9.9% |
| 2023 | 3,064 | 10.6% |
| 2024 | 3,129 | 12.6% |
| 2025 | 3,109 | 12.1% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Ducato
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.3% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (3.4% 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.
- Visibility (2.6% 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.
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 2015 Fiat Ducatos pass their MOT?
89.1% of the 15,512 2015 Fiat Ducato MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Fiat Ducato?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.3% of tests, followed by brakes (3.4%).
Does the 2015 Ducato get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 20.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 15,512 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.