2018 Fiat Swift — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 8,893 MOT tests, the 2018 Fiat Swift recorded a 94.9% pass rate. That is 5.8 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 11.0%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.2%) and visibility (3.4%) 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 332 times.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.2% | 370 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.4% | 298 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.1% | 101 |
| 4 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 54 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 31 |
| 6 | Tyres | 0.3% | 29 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 332 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 241 |
| 3 | Outline marker lamp | 86 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 57 |
| 5 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 50 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 47 |
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 | 6.2% | 553 |
| 2 | Brakes | 2.0% | 175 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 1.7% | 155 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.7% | 149 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.8% | 75 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.7% | 65 |
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 | 8,211 | 4.8% |
| 30-60k | 656 | 9.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,796 | 4.4% |
| 2022 | 1,847 | 4.5% |
| 2023 | 1,830 | 5.1% |
| 2024 | 1,665 | 5.8% |
| 2025 | 1,755 | 5.9% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Swift
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 4.2% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (4.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.4% 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.
- Brakes (1.1% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 2018 Fiat Swifts pass their MOT?
94.9% of the 8,893 2018 Fiat Swift MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 5.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Fiat Swift?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.2% of tests, followed by visibility (3.4%).
Does the 2018 Swift get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.8% in the 0-30k band to 9.0% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,893 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.