17,768 tests in 2025
Abarth 595 reliability and MOT pass rate
82.7% passed first time. The 17.3% fail rate is 5.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 7 years old with 38,040 miles.
Pass rate
82.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 17.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
38,040 mi
7 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4,231 | 10.4% |
| 6-9 years | 10,940 | 18.2% |
| 10-13 years | 2,586 | 25% |
| 14+ years | 7 | — |
What the 595 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension47 dangerous38.7%
- Tyres1,159 dangerous32.9%
- Brakes369 dangerous21.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous20.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks12%
- Visibility11.4%
- Body, chassis, structure10 dangerous5.2%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous2.4%
Is the 595 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 17.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 15,153 | 5 | 15.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 16,435 | 6 | 16.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 14,798 | 7 | 17.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 16,999 | 7 | 17.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 595 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 595 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm360 tests
- 2Condition: has ply or cords exposed263 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken250 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn242 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush228 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick223 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords201 tests
- 8Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn184 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 595 collects 2.6 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,697 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,554 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,567 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,210 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak1,034 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure840 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn527 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has an excessively worn bush425 tests
Questions
What is the Abarth 595 MOT pass rate?
82.7% of the 17,768 Abarth 595 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 17.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Abarth 595 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 360 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has ply or cords exposed" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 38.7% of failures, tyres appears in 32.9% of failures, brakes appears in 21.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.4%; at 10-13 years it was 25%. The median Abarth 595 tested in 2025 was 7 years old with 38,040 miles.
Is the Abarth 595 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.2 points to 17.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 595 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Abarth models
Checking a particular 595?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.