2017 Fiat Panda — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 Fiat Panda passed 87.2% of its 20,080 recorded MOT tests. City cars of a similar age fail 11.7% of the time, so this is 1.1pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (4.8%) and lighting & signalling (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, shock absorbers and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 800 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.6% once past 120-150k — 3.1× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 12.7% fail against 15.4% for diesel, a 2.7-point gap across 20,080 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 20.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 4.8% | 970 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 937 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.1% | 822 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.2% | 637 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.3% | 465 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.7% | 350 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 800 |
| 2 | Shock absorbers | 625 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 462 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 379 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 321 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 285 |
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 | 20.9% | 4,189 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.8% | 3,173 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.9% | 1,986 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.5% | 1,108 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.0% | 594 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 494 |
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 | 11,078 | 9.3% |
| 30-60k | 7,236 | 16.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,478 | 21.3% |
| 90-120k | 248 | 20.2% |
| 120-150k | 35 | 28.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 19,313 | 12.7% |
| Diesel | 767 | 15.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,901 | 8.9% |
| 2022 | 3,984 | 11.1% |
| 2023 | 4,036 | 12.8% |
| 2024 | 4,039 | 14.7% |
| 2025 | 4,120 | 16.3% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Panda
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 4.8% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (4.8% 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 (4.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (4.1% 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 2017 Fiat Pandas pass their MOT?
87.2% of the 20,080 2017 Fiat Panda MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Fiat Panda?
Suspension, recorded in 4.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.7%).
Does the 2017 Panda get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.3% in the 0-30k band to 28.6% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,080 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.