2016 Fiat Tipo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 6,944 MOT tests, the 2016 Fiat Tipo recorded an 82.7% pass rate. Against small family cars of a similar age (13.7% fail rate), the 2016 Tipo comes out 3.6pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.9%) and tyres (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, tread depth and wipers — brake pads alone was recorded 245 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.1% versus 10.6%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.7pp more often than petrol ones (18.8% vs 16.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 14.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 412 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.8% | 403 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.4% | 374 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.2% | 359 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.5% | 311 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.1% | 215 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 245 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 243 |
| 3 | Wipers | 241 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 200 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 198 |
| 6 | Shock absorbers | 180 |
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 | 27.6% | 1,916 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.8% | 1,720 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.0% | 972 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.7% | 670 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.2% | 222 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.6% | 182 |
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 | 1,064 | 10.6% |
| 30-60k | 3,463 | 17.1% |
| 60-90k | 1,824 | 20.0% |
| 90-120k | 462 | 22.7% |
| 120-150k | 96 | 19.8% |
| 150k+ | 35 | 17.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,701 | 16.0% |
| Diesel | 3,243 | 18.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,371 | 14.3% |
| 2022 | 1,422 | 16.9% |
| 2023 | 1,395 | 17.6% |
| 2024 | 1,417 | 19.3% |
| 2025 | 1,339 | 18.3% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Tipo
On a 2016 Tipo, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.9% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (5.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.8% 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.
- Suspension (5.4% 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.
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 2016 Fiat Tipos pass their MOT?
82.7% of the 6,944 2016 Fiat Tipo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Fiat Tipo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by tyres (5.8%).
Does the 2016 Tipo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.6% in the 0-30k band to 17.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,944 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.