2,592 tests in 2025
Fiat 124 reliability and MOT pass rate
87.8% passed first time. The 12.2% fail rate is 10.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 30,782 miles.
Pass rate
87.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 12.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
30,782 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1 | — |
| 6-9 years | 2,543 | 12% |
| 10-13 years | 1 | — |
| 14+ years | 47 | — |
What the 124 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment37.8%
- Brakes72 dangerous28.3%
- Suspension1 dangerous22.2%
- Tyres70 dangerous19%
- Visibility17.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3.2%
- Identification of the vehicle1.9%
- Body, chassis, structure1%
Is the 124 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4.2 points to 12.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,874 | 5 | 7.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,859 | 6 | 10.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,347 | 7 | 11.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,577 | 8 | 12.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 124 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 124 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working62 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken49 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick46 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively33 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding20 tests
- 6Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid18 tests
- 7Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps17 tests
- 8Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm17 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 124 collects 2.36 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.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened279 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick228 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure210 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm203 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn147 tests
- 6Condition: badly distorted58 tests
- 7Service brake performance: excessively binding53 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords36 tests
Questions
What is the Fiat 124 MOT pass rate?
87.8% of the 2,592 Fiat 124 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 12.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Fiat 124 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 62 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 37.8% of failures, brakes appears in 28.3% of failures, suspension appears in 22.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 6-9 years it was 12%. The median Fiat 124 tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 30,782 miles.
Is the Fiat 124 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4.2 points to 12.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 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 124 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 Fiat models
Checking a particular 124?
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.