2015 Fiat -Trail — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Fiat -Trail passed 93.2% of its 5,910 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 16.4% of the time, so this is 9.6pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, seat belts & restraints and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (3.9%) and seat belts & restraints (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, srs malfunction indicator lamp and wipers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 156 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 10.9% versus 5.9%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 11.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 3.9% | 231 |
| 2 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.3% | 136 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.0% | 116 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.3% | 79 |
| 5 | Tyres | 1.0% | 60 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 35 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 156 |
| 2 | SRS malfunction indicator lamp | 131 |
| 3 | Wipers | 112 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 37 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 33 |
| 6 | Outline marker lamp | 33 |
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 | 11.0% | 652 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 240 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.3% | 193 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.6% | 156 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.7% | 101 |
| 6 | Other defects | 1.3% | 74 |
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 | 4,659 | 5.9% |
| 30-60k | 1,185 | 10.1% |
| 60-90k | 55 | 10.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,189 | 6.9% |
| 2022 | 1,215 | 6.4% |
| 2023 | 1,191 | 6.4% |
| 2024 | 1,152 | 7.6% |
| 2025 | 1,163 | 7.0% |
What to check before buying a 2015 -Trail
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 3.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (3.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Seat belts & restraints (2.3% of tests): Belt damage or faulty pretensioners — usually straightforward but safety-critical. Typical repair: £50–£300.
- Visibility (2.0% 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.
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 2015 Fiat -Trails pass their MOT?
93.2% of the 5,910 2015 Fiat -Trail MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Fiat -Trail?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 3.9% of tests, followed by seat belts & restraints (2.3%).
Does the 2015 -Trail get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.9% in the 0-30k band to 10.9% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,910 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.