2011 Fiat Panda — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2011 Fiat Panda passed 74.5% of its 35,870 recorded MOT tests. That is 2.9 percentage points worse than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 22.6%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 16.1% of tests against 9.6% 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 3,591 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 15.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.0% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 25.5% of the time against 25.8% for diesel.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 43.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 24.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 27.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.1% | 5,768 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.6% | 3,455 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.3% | 2,271 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.4% | 1,933 |
| 5 | Brakes | 5.2% | 1,881 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.4% | 1,230 |
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 | 3,591 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 3,150 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 2,068 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 1,597 |
| 5 | Wipers | 1,569 |
| 6 | Individual direction indicators | 1,179 |
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 | 43.3% | 15,528 |
| 2 | Tyres | 29.1% | 10,432 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.5% | 5,565 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.1% | 4,698 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.1% | 2,916 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 7.5% | 2,677 |
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 | 4,087 | 15.3% |
| 30-60k | 14,059 | 24.0% |
| 60-90k | 11,761 | 27.9% |
| 90-120k | 4,498 | 31.4% |
| 120-150k | 1,245 | 31.8% |
| 150k+ | 210 | 30.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 35,269 | 25.5% |
| Diesel | 601 | 25.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7,445 | 24.1% |
| 2022 | 7,441 | 24.9% |
| 2023 | 7,237 | 25.0% |
| 2024 | 7,028 | 26.5% |
| 2025 | 6,719 | 27.2% |
What to check before buying a 2011 Panda
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 16.1% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (16.1% 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 (9.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.3% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
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 2011 Fiat Pandas pass their MOT?
74.5% of the 35,870 2011 Fiat Panda MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 25.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2011 Fiat Panda?
Suspension, recorded in 16.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.6%).
Does the 2011 Panda get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 15.3% in the 0-30k band to 30.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 35,870 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.