2,919 tests in 2025
Alfa Romeo Spider reliability and MOT pass rate
75.1% passed first time. The 24.9% fail rate is 2.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 23 years old with 75,344 miles.
Pass rate
75.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
75,344 mi
23 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 2 | — |
| 10-13 years | 4 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,913 | 25% |
What the Spider 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.
- Brakes66 dangerous45.9%
- Suspension19 dangerous33.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment20 dangerous26.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous20.7%
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous20.2%
- Tyres138 dangerous15.5%
- Visibility1 dangerous14.7%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems9.1%
Is the Spider getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.2 points to 24.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3,709 | 21 | 27.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 3,553 | 22 | 27.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,783 | 23 | 26.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,919 | 23 | 24.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Spider 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 Spider in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements170 tests
- 2Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements92 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken76 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt52 tests
- 5SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault45 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases42 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively42 tests
- 8Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits39 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Spider collects 3.19 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine392 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm295 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened270 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure230 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened214 tests
- 6Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases187 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn149 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded138 tests
Questions
What is the Alfa Romeo Spider MOT pass rate?
75.1% of the 2,919 Alfa Romeo Spider first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Alfa Romeo Spider usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 170 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, brakes appears in 45.9% of failures, suspension appears in 33.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 26.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 25%. The median Alfa Romeo Spider tested in 2025 was 23 years old with 75,344 miles.
Is the Alfa Romeo Spider getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.2 points to 24.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Spider trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 4 safety recalls naming the Alfa Romeo Spider: Alfa Romeo Spider recalls.
Other Alfa Romeo models
Checking a particular Spider?
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.