Fiat Motorcaravan MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 32 model years and 1,345 tests, the Fiat Motorcaravan passes its MOT 80.9% of the time. Against all cars of a similar age (26.2% fail rate), the Motorcaravan comes out 7.1pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.7% of all tests — 4.3 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and service brake performance — headlamp aim alone was recorded 64 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 31.3% versus 14.6%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 18.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 18.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Motorcaravan model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 61 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 59 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 50 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 78 | 65.4% | 34.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 134 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 148 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 127 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 78 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 164 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 110 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 94 | 80.8% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 37 | 94.6% | 5.4% | Visibility |
| 2011 | 83 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 30 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.7% | 171 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.4% | 113 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.7% | 90 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.0% | 81 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.9% | 52 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.7% | 23 |
| 7 | Tyres | 1.3% | 18 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.8% | 11 |
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 | 64 |
| 2 | Wipers | 62 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 61 |
| 4 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 48 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 44 |
| 6 | Washers | 40 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 40 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 38 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 18.1% | 243 |
| 2 | Suspension | 14.1% | 189 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 11.9% | 160 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.0% | 148 |
| 5 | Tyres | 9.8% | 132 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.7% | 76 |
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 | 239 | 14.6% |
| 30-60k | 697 | 16.6% |
| 60-90k | 277 | 21.7% |
| 90-120k | 75 | 33.3% |
| 120-150k | 32 | 31.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 271 | 18.8% |
| 2022 | 264 | 17.1% |
| 2023 | 284 | 21.1% |
| 2024 | 261 | 17.2% |
| 2025 | 265 | 21.1% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Motorcaravan
- Lighting & signalling (12.7% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (6.7% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 Motorcaravan?
80.9% of the 1,345 Fiat Motorcaravan MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.1% fail rate, across model years 1985–2016.
What does the Fiat Motorcaravan most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.7% of tests, then brakes (8.4%).
How much does mileage affect Motorcaravan MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.3% for 120-150k, a 16.6-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,345 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.