2006 Fiat Panda — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2006 Fiat Panda passed 69.8% of its 29,844 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.3 percentage points worse than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 28.8%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 17.6% of tests against 11.7% 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 2,459 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 17.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 37.2% once past 150k — 2.2× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 30.0% fail against 31.9% for diesel, a 1.9-point gap across 29,844 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 42.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 17.6% | 5,256 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 11.7% | 3,492 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.4% | 3,100 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.0% | 2,073 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.5% | 1,927 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.9% | 1,767 |
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 | 2,459 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 1,971 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,861 |
| 4 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 1,774 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 1,663 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 1,525 |
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 | 42.5% | 12,674 |
| 2 | Tyres | 30.3% | 9,050 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.0% | 5,982 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.8% | 4,117 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 10.9% | 3,246 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.6% | 3,159 |
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 | 1,198 | 17.0% |
| 30-60k | 7,238 | 25.0% |
| 60-90k | 10,850 | 30.9% |
| 90-120k | 7,217 | 33.8% |
| 120-150k | 2,573 | 35.6% |
| 150k+ | 752 | 37.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 27,142 | 30.0% |
| Diesel | 2,702 | 31.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,526 | 29.3% |
| 2022 | 6,772 | 29.7% |
| 2023 | 6,059 | 30.7% |
| 2024 | 5,239 | 31.1% |
| 2025 | 4,248 | 30.5% |
What to check before buying a 2006 Panda
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 17.6% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (17.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (11.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.4% 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.
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 2006 Fiat Pandas pass their MOT?
69.8% of the 29,844 2006 Fiat Panda MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 30.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2006 Fiat Panda?
Suspension, recorded in 17.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (11.7%).
Does the 2006 Panda get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 17.0% in the 0-30k band to 37.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 29,844 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.