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Pass Your MOT

1974 Fiat 126 MOT Pass Rate

Pass rate for 126 models manufactured in 1974, based on 36 real MOT test results.

66.7%
Pass Rate
33.3%
Fail Rate
36
Total Tests
53,140
Avg Mileage

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

1974 Fiat 126 MOT Analysis

The 1974 Fiat 126 has an MOT pass rate of 66.7% based on 36 tests — slightly above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 53,140 miles on the odometer. With a 33.3% failure rate, the 1974 126 is rated as "Good" for MOT reliability.

The leading cause of MOT failure for the 1974 Fiat 126 is Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, responsible for 5.6% of failures. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs range from £5–50. Steering is the second most common issue at 2.8%.

⚠ Based on limited data (36 tests)

Top failures specific to 1974 models only. The overall 126 page may show different rankings.

What Fails Most

What Fails on This Car?

Click a category to see specific failure items.

View as table
MOT failure categories ranked by failure rate
RankFailure CategoryRate (%)Count
1Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment5.6%2
2Steering2.8%1

Failures per 10,000 Miles

avg. 53,140 mi

For every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.

Lamps & Electrical1.05% per 10K miSteering0.52% per 10K mi
View as table
Mileage-normalised failure rates by category
CategoryRate / 10K miRaw %Count
Lamps & Electrical1.055.6%2
Steering0.522.8%1

Mileage Statistics

53,140
Mean
50,518
Median
47,619
25th Percentile
69,150
75th Percentile
6.27% failures per 10K miles

Mileage-adjusted failure rate — accounts for how much this model year is typically driven.

About This Data

The 1974 Fiat 126 has an MOT pass rate of 66.7% based on 36 tests — slightly above the UK average for UK vehicles. Cars of this vintage present for MOT with an average of 53,140 miles on the odometer. With a 33.3% failure rate, the 1974 126 is rated as "Good" for MOT reliability.

If you own or are considering buying a 1974 Fiat 126, you can expect reliable MOT performance overall. Before your MOT, pay particular attention to lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test. At 53,140 average miles, these vehicles are in the mid-range where component wear starts to become a factor.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 5.6% of failures

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment issues account for 5.6% of MOT failures on 1974 Fiat 126 models. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.

Steering — 2.8% of failures

Steering issues account for 2.8% of MOT failures on 1974 Fiat 126 models. Steering failures include excessive play in the steering wheel, leaking power steering fluid, worn track rod ends, and damaged steering rack. These affect vehicle control and are closely related to suspension wear. Typical repair costs: £150–600. Pre-MOT check: Check for excessive steering wheel play (more than a few inches of free movement). Listen for whining from the power steering pump. Look for fluid leaks under the car near the front wheels.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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