Piaggio Vespa MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 238,907 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 19.1%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Piaggio Vespa MOT Reliability Overview
The Piaggio Vespa is a very popular vehicle in the UK, with 238,907 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 62 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 80.9% and a failure rate of 19.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Piaggio Vespa earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Piaggio Vespa presents for MOT with approximately 12,988 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1975 models achieve the highest pass rate at 93.8%, while 2000 models have the lowest at 73.5%. This 20.3 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Piaggio Vespa is Motorcycle lighting and signalling, affecting 9.5% of all tests. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. The second most common issue is Motorcycle brakes at 7.4%. Motorcycle tyres and wheels rounds out the top three at 5.2%. 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
All manufacture years perform similarly at ~93.9%.
Based on 2024 MOT test results only — the most recent data available. "Built" = year of manufacture. Cars need their first MOT at 3 years old, so the newest cars shown are from ~3 years ago.
Bar chart showing pass rate by manufacture year from 2006 to 2020
| Built | Pass Rate | Tests | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 93.9% | 1,107 | 🏆 Best |
| 2020 | 93.7% | 973 | ✅ Great |
| 2017 | 92.0% | 1,269 | ✅ Great |
| 2018 | 92.0% | 1,374 | ✅ Great |
| 2016 | 91.4% | 1,749 | 👍 Good |
| 2013 | 87.1% | 1,342 | ⚠️ Fair |
| 2014 | 87.0% | 1,510 | ⚠️ Fair |
| 2015 | 86.1% | 1,479 | ⚠️ Fair |
| 2012 | 85.2% | 757 | ⚠️ Fair |
| 2006 | 83.4% | 517 | ❌ Avoid |
| 2007 | 82.1% | 514 | ❌ Avoid |
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 23 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Piaggio Vespa vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 25 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 Piaggio Vespa. 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 Piaggio Vespa ages relatively gracefully. The failure rate increase of 13% after warranty is below average, suggesting good long-term reliability. Peak failure occurs at age 12 (23.4% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
* 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 | Motorcycle Lighting And Signalling | 10.9% | 26,103 |
| 2 | Motorcycle Brakes | 8.1% | 19,401 |
| 3 | Motorcycle Tyres And Wheels | 5.7% | 13,503 |
| 4 | Motorcycle Steering And Suspension | 5.6% | 13,380 |
| 5 | Motorcycle Lamps And Reflectors | 4.7% | 11,173 |
| 6 | Motorcycle Fuel And Exhaust | 2.7% | 6,494 |
| 7 | Motorcycle Tyres | 2.1% | 5,050 |
| 8 | Motorcycle Body And Structure | 1.5% | 3,517 |
| 9 | Motorcycle Structure And Attachments | 1.4% | 3,394 |
| 10 | Motorcycle Suspension | 1.0% | 2,427 |
| 11 | Motorcycle Reg Plates And Vin | 0.8% | 1,808 |
| 12 | Motorcycle Steering | 0.7% | 1,782 |
| 13 | Identification Of The Vehicle | 0.4% | 901 |
| 14 | Motorcycle Audible Warning (Horn) | 0.3% | 649 |
| 15 | Motorcycle Driving Controls | 0.2% | 440 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 12,988 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle lighting and signalling | 8.41 | 10.9% | 26,103 |
| Motorcycle brakes | 6.25 | 8.1% | 19,401 |
| Motorcycle tyres and wheels | 4.35 | 5.7% | 13,503 |
| Motorcycle steering and suspension | 4.31 | 5.6% | 13,380 |
| Motorcycle lamps and reflectors | 3.60 | 4.7% | 11,173 |
| Motorcycle fuel and exhaust | 2.09 | 2.7% | 6,494 |
| Motorcycle tyres | 1.63 | 2.1% | 5,050 |
| Motorcycle body and structure | 1.13 | 1.5% | 3,517 |
| Motorcycle structure and attachments | 1.09 | 1.4% | 3,394 |
| Motorcycle suspension | 0.78 | 1.0% | 2,427 |
| Motorcycle reg plates and vin | 0.58 | 0.8% | 1,808 |
| Motorcycle steering | 0.57 | 0.7% | 1,782 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0.29 | 0.4% | 901 |
| Motorcycle audible warning (Horn) | 0.21 | 0.3% | 649 |
| Motorcycle driving controls | 0.14 | 0.2% | 440 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Piaggio Vespa has 12,988 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 Piaggio Vespa has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 14.71% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Piaggio Vespa MOT Data
The Piaggio Vespa is a very popular vehicle in the UK, with 238,907 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 62 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 80.9% and a failure rate of 19.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Piaggio Vespa owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on motorcycle lighting and signalling and motorcycle brakes 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 Vespa is likely to perform.
Motorcycle lighting and signalling — 9.5% of failures
Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues account for 9.5% of MOT failures on the Piaggio Vespa. Motorcycle lighting and signalling issues are a common cause of MOT failure. Regular inspection and maintenance of these components helps ensure your vehicle passes its MOT. Typical repair costs: £100–400. Pre-MOT check: Have this system checked during regular servicing. Look for warning signs like unusual noises, vibrations, or dashboard warning lights.
Motorcycle brakes — 7.4% of failures
Motorcycle brakes issues account for 7.4% of MOT failures on the Piaggio Vespa. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Motorcycle tyres and wheels — 5.2% of failures
Motorcycle tyres and wheels issues account for 5.2% of MOT failures on the Piaggio Vespa. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Piaggio Vespa?
Based on 238,907 MOT tests in our database, the Piaggio Vespa has an overall pass rate of 80.9% (19.1% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Piaggio Vespa?
The top 3 reasons a Piaggio Vespa fails its MOT are: 1. Motorcycle lighting and signalling (9.5%), 2. Motorcycle brakes (7.4%), 3. Motorcycle tyres and wheels (5.2%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Piaggio Vespa reliable?
With a 19.1% MOT failure rate, the Vespa is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Piaggio Vespa?
Based on failure data, focus on: Motorcycle lighting and signalling (9.5%); Motorcycle brakes (7.4%); Motorcycle tyres and wheels (5.2%). 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.