Fiat 124 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the Fiat 124 took 2,874 MOT tests in Britain and passed 87% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 2,874
First-time pass rate: 87%
All cars: 71%

What the 124 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Lights and electrics3.7% (all cars 11.3%)
Visibility3.5% (all cars 4.8%)
Brakes3.5% (all cars 6.8%)
Tyres2.5% (all cars 6.4%)
Suspension1.6% (all cars 9.0%)
Exhaust and emissions0.7% (all cars 3.1%)
Number plates and VIN0.3% (all cars 0.4%)
Body and structure0.2% (all cars 3.5%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 2.5%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 1.9%
Position lamp: not working 1.3%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 1.0%
Headlamp aim: too high 0.8%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 0.7%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 0.7%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 0.6%

Most common advisories

Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 10.4%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 10.4%
Brake pads: wearing thin 8.7%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 7.5%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 2.2%
Road Wheels, condition: slightly distorted 1.5%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.4%
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively 1.2%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2016	645	85%
2017	833	86%
2018	1,329	88%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
5 years	23,478 miles
6 years	25,472 miles
7 years	29,222 miles

Check a particular 124

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other Fiat models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.