Fiat Panda MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 45 model years and 578,812 tests, the Fiat Panda passes its MOT 77.0% of the time. City cars of a similar age fail 21.5% of the time, so this is 1.5pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Panda years
Ranked across Panda years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 92.2% of 2020 examples pass against 68.2% of 2004 ones.
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 12.8% of tests against 9.0% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, pins and bushes and tread depth — shock absorbers alone was recorded 38,009 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 35.1% once past 150k — 3.1× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 22.8% fail against 26.9% for diesel, a 4.1-point gap across 578,745 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 33.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 22.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Panda model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 34 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 85 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 117 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 219 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 273 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 256 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 239 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 300 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 289 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 165 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 89 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 570 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 20,304 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 23,309 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 29,844 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 37,597 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 34,404 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 68,258 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 60,168 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 35,870 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 40,372 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 46,617 | 79.8% | 20.3% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 48,405 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 47,300 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 28,375 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 20,080 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 14,797 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 11,328 | 90.5% | 9.4% | Suspension |
| 2020 | 5,769 | 92.2% | 7.8% | Suspension |
| 2021 | 2,468 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Suspension |
| 2022 | 791 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.8% | 73,932 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.0% | 52,051 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.3% | 36,552 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.6% | 32,274 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.0% | 29,104 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.7% | 21,441 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 18,951 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.4% | 7,932 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shock absorbers | 38,009 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 27,767 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 26,153 |
| 4 | Wipers | 22,343 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 19,723 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 17,098 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 14,682 |
| 8 | Exhaust system | 13,265 |
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 | 33.2% | 191,907 |
| 2 | Tyres | 26.9% | 155,885 |
| 3 | Brakes | 18.4% | 106,262 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.7% | 56,150 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 7.6% | 44,063 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.6% | 43,875 |
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 | 107,764 | 11.4% |
| 30-60k | 206,594 | 21.0% |
| 60-90k | 163,396 | 27.8% |
| 90-120k | 73,632 | 31.5% |
| 120-150k | 21,484 | 32.9% |
| 150k+ | 5,696 | 35.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 538,165 | 22.8% |
| Diesel | 40,580 | 26.9% |
| Hybrid | 47 | 8.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 120,736 | 22.3% |
| 2022 | 119,884 | 22.6% |
| 2023 | 117,446 | 22.9% |
| 2024 | 113,068 | 23.7% |
| 2025 | 107,678 | 23.9% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Panda
- Suspension (12.8% 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 (9.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.3% 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 Panda?
77.0% of the 578,812 Fiat Panda MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.1% fail rate, across model years 1980–2024.
What does the Fiat Panda most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 12.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (9.0%).
Which Panda years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 92.2% and 2004 the weakest at 68.2%, from 5,769 and 20,304 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Panda MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.4% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.1% for 150k+, a 23.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Panda more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 22.8% of the time against 26.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 578,812 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.