2012 Fiat Qubo — MOT failures & pass rate
5,677 MOT tests on the 2012 Fiat Qubo are in this dataset, and 75.8% of them passed. Against MPVs of a similar age (22.6% fail rate), the 2012 Qubo comes out 1.6pp worse. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 14.5% of tests against 6.8% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, shock absorbers and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 453 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 16.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 31.4% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 23.6% of the time against 24.3% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 22.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 25.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.5% | 825 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 383 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.5% | 370 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.7% | 212 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 187 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 181 |
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 | 453 |
| 2 | Shock absorbers | 426 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 176 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 170 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 112 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 107 |
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 | 28.7% | 1,628 |
| 2 | Suspension | 21.7% | 1,234 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.0% | 907 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 10.9% | 620 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.7% | 494 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 7.9% | 446 |
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 | 473 | 16.7% |
| 30-60k | 1,865 | 21.1% |
| 60-90k | 2,125 | 26.3% |
| 90-120k | 987 | 27.6% |
| 120-150k | 186 | 29.6% |
| 150k+ | 35 | 31.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,824 | 24.3% |
| Petrol | 853 | 23.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,205 | 22.6% |
| 2022 | 1,192 | 24.0% |
| 2023 | 1,167 | 24.4% |
| 2024 | 1,098 | 24.5% |
| 2025 | 1,015 | 25.6% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Qubo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 14.5% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (14.5% 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 (6.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.5% 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 2012 Fiat Qubos pass their MOT?
75.8% of the 5,677 2012 Fiat Qubo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 24.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Fiat Qubo?
Suspension, recorded in 14.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.8%).
Does the 2012 Qubo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 16.7% in the 0-30k band to 31.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,677 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.