Fiat Sunlight MOT pass rate & common failures
The Fiat Sunlight appears in 1,441 MOT tests spanning model years 2010–2022, and 94.0% of them passed. All cars of a similar age fail 11.3% of the time, so this is 5.3pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, visibility and seat belts & restraints.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.9%) and visibility (3.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and outline marker lamp — wipers alone was recorded 54 times.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 9.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Sunlight model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 109 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 278 | 94.2% | 5.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 476 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 313 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 144 | 94.4% | 5.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 76 | 94.7% | 5.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.9% | 70 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.5% | 51 |
| 3 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.2% | 17 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.1% | 16 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 12 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.5% | 7 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.4% | 5 |
| 8 | Tyres | 0.3% | 4 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 54 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 38 |
| 3 | Outline marker lamp | 21 |
| 4 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 17 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 10 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 10 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 10 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 9 |
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 | 9.2% | 132 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 46 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.2% | 46 |
| 4 | Other defects | 1.9% | 28 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.9% | 27 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.5% | 21 |
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 | 1,214 | 5.3% |
| 30-60k | 211 | 8.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 180 | 5.6% |
| 2022 | 264 | 6.4% |
| 2023 | 305 | 4.3% |
| 2024 | 336 | 8.0% |
| 2025 | 356 | 5.3% |
What to check before buying a Fiat Sunlight
- Lighting & signalling (4.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.5% 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.
- Seat belts & restraints (1.2% of tests): Belt damage or faulty pretensioners — usually straightforward but safety-critical. Typical repair: £50–£300.
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 Sunlight?
94.0% of the 1,441 Fiat Sunlight MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 6.0% fail rate, across model years 2010–2022.
What does the Fiat Sunlight most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.9% of tests, then visibility (3.5%).
Methodology & source. Based on 1,441 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.