2019 Fiat Tipo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Fiat Tipo passed 86.8% of its 7,500 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (9.6% fail rate), the 2019 Tipo comes out 3.6pp worse. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (6.8%) and tyres (4.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 494 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.9% once past 120-150k — 3.1× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 13.0% of the time against 14.4% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 6.8% | 512 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.6% | 348 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.6% | 273 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 243 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.6% | 198 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 85 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 494 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 191 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 161 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 158 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 136 |
| 6 | Washers | 136 |
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 | 24.6% | 1,846 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.0% | 1,129 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.9% | 669 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.8% | 662 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.4% | 251 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.4% | 101 |
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 | 3,410 | 9.9% |
| 30-60k | 3,243 | 15.3% |
| 60-90k | 661 | 19.1% |
| 90-120k | 130 | 14.6% |
| 120-150k | 42 | 30.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 6,243 | 13.0% |
| Diesel | 1,252 | 14.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 84 | 9.5% |
| 2022 | 1,835 | 10.3% |
| 2023 | 1,841 | 12.0% |
| 2024 | 1,829 | 14.2% |
| 2025 | 1,911 | 16.5% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Tipo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 6.8% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (6.8% 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.
- Tyres (4.6% 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 (3.6% 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.
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 2019 Fiat Tipos pass their MOT?
86.8% of the 7,500 2019 Fiat Tipo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Fiat Tipo?
Visibility, recorded in 6.8% of tests, followed by tyres (4.6%).
Does the 2019 Tipo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.9% in the 0-30k band to 30.9% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,500 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.