2013 Fiat Panda — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 46,617 MOT tests, the 2013 Fiat Panda recorded a 79.8% pass rate. That is 1.1 percentage points worse than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 19.1%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (11.2%) and lighting & signalling (8.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, coil spring and tread depth — shock absorbers alone was recorded 2,755 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 27.0% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 19.6% fail against 25.2% for diesel, a 5.6-point gap across 46,617 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 17.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.2% | 5,206 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.4% | 3,928 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.6% | 2,124 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.4% | 2,055 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 1,680 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.8% | 1,298 |
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 | 2,755 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 2,137 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,357 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,326 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 1,256 |
| 6 | Wipers | 1,173 |
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 | 26.2% | 12,230 |
| 2 | Suspension | 25.5% | 11,881 |
| 3 | Brakes | 23.8% | 11,090 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.8% | 3,628 |
| 5 | Other defects | 6.6% | 3,084 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.1% | 2,858 |
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 | 6,732 | 11.1% |
| 30-60k | 20,578 | 18.2% |
| 60-90k | 13,683 | 24.8% |
| 90-120k | 4,569 | 27.8% |
| 120-150k | 847 | 27.7% |
| 150k+ | 185 | 27.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 41,211 | 19.6% |
| Diesel | 5,406 | 25.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,301 | 17.9% |
| 2022 | 9,298 | 18.5% |
| 2023 | 9,422 | 20.4% |
| 2024 | 9,387 | 21.5% |
| 2025 | 9,209 | 22.8% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Panda
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 11.2% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (11.2% 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 (8.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.6% 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 2013 Fiat Pandas pass their MOT?
79.8% of the 46,617 2013 Fiat Panda MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Fiat Panda?
Suspension, recorded in 11.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (8.4%).
Does the 2013 Panda get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.1% in the 0-30k band to 27.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 46,617 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.