Fiat Qubo MOT pass rate & common failures
28,261 MOT tests on the Fiat Qubo (2008–2021) give it a 76.6% pass rate. Against MPVs of a similar age (22.0% fail rate), the Qubo comes out 1.4pp worse. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst Qubo years
Ranked across Qubo years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2017 (85.6% pass rate); the weakest is 2009 (72.2%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 13.5% of all tests — 5.9 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, shock absorbers and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 1,949 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 16.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.6% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 22.6% of the time against 23.6% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 22.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 24.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Qubo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 241 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 3,160 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 4,353 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 4,254 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 5,677 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 3,946 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 1,927 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 1,164 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 994 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 1,214 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 696 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 497 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 136 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.5% | 3,802 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 2,124 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.0% | 1,692 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.0% | 1,140 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.6% | 1,032 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.2% | 896 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.2% | 894 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.8% | 502 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 1,949 |
| 2 | Shock absorbers | 1,871 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 916 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 856 |
| 5 | Wipers | 742 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 636 |
| 7 | Individual direction indicators | 510 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 470 |
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 | 27.8% | 7,851 |
| 2 | Suspension | 21.2% | 6,003 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.3% | 4,596 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 9.4% | 2,667 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.6% | 2,433 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 8.2% | 2,306 |
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 | 5,024 | 16.1% |
| 30-60k | 8,387 | 20.9% |
| 60-90k | 8,305 | 26.3% |
| 90-120k | 4,545 | 27.8% |
| 120-150k | 1,381 | 30.2% |
| 150k+ | 422 | 30.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 22,437 | 23.6% |
| Petrol | 5,824 | 22.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,894 | 22.6% |
| 2022 | 5,851 | 21.7% |
| 2023 | 5,827 | 23.8% |
| 2024 | 5,515 | 24.4% |
| 2025 | 5,174 | 24.8% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Qubo
- Suspension (13.5% 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 (7.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.0% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Fiat Qubo?
76.6% of the 28,261 Fiat Qubo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.4% fail rate, across model years 2008–2021.
What does the Fiat Qubo most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 13.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (7.5%).
Which Qubo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 85.6% and 2009 the weakest at 72.2%, from 1,214 and 3,160 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Qubo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.6% for 150k+, a 14.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Qubo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 22.6% of the time against 23.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 28,261 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.