Fiat Idea MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 36,715 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 40.8%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Fiat Idea MOT Reliability Overview
The Fiat Idea is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 36,715 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 4 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 59.2% and a failure rate of 40.8%, which is slightly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Fiat Idea earns a "Below Average" reliability rating. The average Fiat Idea presents for MOT with approximately 60,636 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2007 models achieve the highest pass rate at 64.0%, while 2004 models have the lowest at 57.1%. This 6.9 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Fiat Idea is Suspension, affecting 34.9% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Tyres at 25.9%. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment rounds out the top three at 23.9%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 4 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Fiat Idea vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Fiat Idea. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Fiat Idea shows a moderate increase in MOT failures after warranty. The 46% increase is typical — plan for gradual maintenance cost increases. Peak failure occurs at age 20 (57.4% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 38.0% | 13,936 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 33.7% | 12,374 |
| 3 | Tyres | 29.8% | 10,945 |
| 4 | Brakes | 21.6% | 7,924 |
| 5 | Driver's View Of The Road | 12.4% | 4,543 |
| 6 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 7.4% | 2,731 |
| 7 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 4.7% | 1,732 |
| 8 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 4.7% | 1,734 |
| 9 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 2.5% | 903 |
| 10 | Visibility | 2.2% | 826 |
| 11 | Steering | 2.0% | 745 |
| 12 | Non-component Advisories | 1.9% | 687 |
| 13 | Body, Structure And General Items | 1.8% | 679 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 60,636 miFor 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.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 6.26 | 38.0% | 13,936 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 5.55 | 33.7% | 12,374 |
| Tyres | 4.92 | 29.8% | 10,945 |
| Brakes | 3.56 | 21.6% | 7,924 |
| Visibility | 2.41 | 14.6% | 5,369 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 1.23 | 7.4% | 2,731 |
| Body & Structure | 1.08 | 6.5% | 2,411 |
| Seat Belts | 0.78 | 4.7% | 1,734 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.41 | 2.5% | 903 |
| Steering | 0.33 | 2.0% | 745 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.31 | 1.9% | 687 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Fiat Idea has 60,636 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Fiat Idea has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 6.73% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Fiat Idea MOT Data
The Fiat Idea is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 36,715 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 4 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 59.2% and a failure rate of 40.8%, which is slightly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Fiat Idea owners, these results suggest average reliability — some preparation before MOT can improve pass chances. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and tyres for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Idea is likely to perform.
Suspension — 34.9% of failures
Suspension issues account for 34.9% of MOT failures on the Fiat Idea. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Tyres — 25.9% of failures
Tyres issues account for 25.9% of MOT failures on the Fiat Idea. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 23.9% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 23.9% of MOT failures on the Fiat Idea. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Fiat Idea?
Based on 36,715 MOT tests in our database, the Fiat Idea has an overall pass rate of 59.2% (40.8% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Fiat Idea?
The top 3 reasons a Fiat Idea fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (34.9%), 2. Tyres (25.9%), 3. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (23.9%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Fiat Idea reliable?
With a 40.8% MOT failure rate, the Idea is about average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Fiat Idea?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (34.9%); Tyres (25.9%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (23.9%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.