2016 Fiat Panda — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 28,375 MOT tests, the 2016 Fiat Panda recorded an 84.8% pass rate. Against city cars of a similar age (13.7% fail rate), the 2016 Panda comes out 1.6pp worse. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (6.6%) and lighting & signalling (5.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, wipers and pins and bushes — shock absorbers alone was recorded 1,652 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.3% versus 10.8%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.7pp more often than petrol ones (17.7% vs 15.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 6.6% | 1,879 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 1,688 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.3% | 1,213 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.7% | 1,062 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.0% | 853 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 583 |
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 | 1,652 |
| 2 | Wipers | 1,164 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 764 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 727 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 619 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 468 |
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 | 22.7% | 6,434 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.3% | 5,199 |
| 3 | Suspension | 16.2% | 4,592 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.1% | 1,736 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.3% | 1,501 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 986 |
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 | 12,451 | 10.8% |
| 30-60k | 11,985 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 3,201 | 22.2% |
| 90-120k | 607 | 26.2% |
| 120-150k | 106 | 28.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 26,737 | 15.0% |
| Diesel | 1,630 | 17.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,584 | 12.6% |
| 2022 | 5,633 | 14.0% |
| 2023 | 5,696 | 15.0% |
| 2024 | 5,748 | 17.0% |
| 2025 | 5,714 | 17.4% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Panda
On a 2016 Panda, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 6.6% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (6.6% 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 (5.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 2016 Fiat Pandas pass their MOT?
84.8% of the 28,375 2016 Fiat Panda MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Fiat Panda?
Suspension, recorded in 6.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.9%).
Does the 2016 Panda get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.8% in the 0-30k band to 28.3% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 28,375 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.