1999 Fiat Scudo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1999 Fiat Scudo passed 74.7% of its 537 recorded MOT tests. Vans of a similar age fail 29.6% of the time, so this is 4.3pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, suspension and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (13.6%) and suspension (11.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, position lamp and service brake imbalance — joints alone was recorded 27 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 35.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.0% once past 150k.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 35.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 30.0% in 2021 to 26.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.6% | 73 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.6% | 62 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.6% | 57 |
| 4 | Brakes | 9.9% | 53 |
| 5 | Visibility | 7.3% | 39 |
| 6 | Tyres | 3.9% | 21 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 27 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 24 |
| 3 | Service brake imbalance | 24 |
| 4 | Wipers | 23 |
| 5 | Exhaust system | 22 |
| 6 | Ball joint dust cover | 21 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 35.4% | 190 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 34.1% | 183 |
| 3 | Brakes | 28.1% | 151 |
| 4 | Tyres | 22.0% | 118 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 20.1% | 108 |
| 6 | Other defects | 16.2% | 87 |
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 | 67 | 35.8% |
| 30-60k | 79 | 20.3% |
| 60-90k | 75 | 24.0% |
| 90-120k | 42 | 19.1% |
| 120-150k | 45 | 24.4% |
| 150k+ | 62 | 21.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 160 | 30.0% |
| 2022 | 116 | 19.0% |
| 2023 | 110 | 26.4% |
| 2024 | 83 | 22.9% |
| 2025 | 68 | 26.5% |
What to check before buying a 1999 Scudo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 13.6% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (13.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.6% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (10.6% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 1999 Fiat Scudos pass their MOT?
74.7% of the 537 1999 Fiat Scudo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 25.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1999 Fiat Scudo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.6% of tests, followed by suspension (11.6%).
Does the 1999 Scudo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 35.8% in the 0-30k band to 21.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 537 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.